


Fate Has A Fucked-Up Sense of Humor

by artimusdin, missixo, StrikerEurekaTech (purplexeyed)



Series: Fate Has...Verse [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Angst, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff, M/M, No one's past is sunshine and rainbows, Sentinel/Guide, Slow Build, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2017-12-29 22:09:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 83,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artimusdin/pseuds/artimusdin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/missixo/pseuds/missixo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplexeyed/pseuds/StrikerEurekaTech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sentinel/Guide AU you didn't know you wanted. (Maybe.)</p><p>Raleigh Becket is a Sentinel. He's been a Sentinel for five years--five, long fucking years, in isolation, atop the Wall in Alaska. By all accounts, he shouldn't be sane. But he is--mostly--and when Stacker Pentecost comes to collect him, he makes an offer Raleigh can't refuse.</p><p>The chance to fight again...and to find his Guide.</p><p>The two Guides who train him drag him from existing to living; one even becomes his co-pilot. But they are not <b>his</b> Guide. </p><p>It's not until much later on that he realizes his Guide has been glaring at him almost the entire time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One (Or; THE PLOT.)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [temporaryobsession (alexiel_rain)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexiel_rain/gifts).



> "I know, I know, it's something of a clichéd crossover, but I really do love it and I keep thinking that Raleigh would make a good Sentinel for a reason. Maybe Mako is his guide? But I'm actually partial to the Raleigh/Chuck pairing :) all the yummy UST in the film was enough to win me over." – Prompt from the kink meme, link is [here](http://pacificrimkink.livejournal.com/1613.html?thread=2442061#t2442061): 
> 
> For this? Pentecost finds/nabs/convinces/manipulates/gets Raleigh around the end of October instead of in January. Because training, folks. And I don't mean the fun kind in the Kwoon.
> 
> I am also royally fucking with the timeline. Like, seriously. Everything except the final two fights gets bumped up. Meaning by the time I intro everyone else, it's only about...oh, mid-December. Like December 12th. Meaning there is about a month of time with all the pilots there, prepping and training and living before the double, then triple event. I am also kinda just fucking with canon in general. Be prepared for the fix-it fic to end all fix-it fics, gang.
> 
> Also, for plot purposes:  
> Echo Sabre is now an Aussie jaeger.  
> Vulcan Specter is now a Mark-4.
> 
> Also. This is ridiculously fucking slowburn. LIKE RIDICULOUSLY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Marshal Pentecost surveyed the ex-pilot that had him taken years to track down. He was thinner, gaunter...not quite haunted. But there was something a bit off. Almost like the younger man was having trouble focusing...

Raleigh Becket's grin was razor sharp. "Noticed?"

That was when it clicked into place. "Sentinel." The older man paused. "Can't be safe, working in construction unbound."

That got him an indifferent shrug. "Learned to deal with it. Zones aren't that bad."

The Marshal narrowed his eyes. "And if I told you coming with me meant you'd not only pilot Gipsy Danger again but would have a Guide?"

"Not interested." Was the cool response. But the Marshal knew better; he'd spotted the faint flicker of interest in the ex-pilot's eyes.

"Not interested in being able to focus properly again? Not interested in having someone to look after and be looked after by? Not interested in having a true equal?"

The blond twitched; it was a small, almost unnoticeable one, but it gave the Marshal pause again. He had to remind himself he wasn't dealing with a bonded Sentinel; one under his command and as balanced as a Sentinel could possibly be while trying to protect not only their Guide, but the entire world. This was a Sentinel who had been alone for five years; who had not had a Guide, a soothing influence or most likely any sort of training, as he had not been a Sentinel when he started the program.

Becket watched him, like he knew what he was thinking and the almost feral smile was back. "Trauma triggers it, remember?"

Pentecost nodded. "So would you rather rot here on this damn wall or save the world from the conn-pod of a jaeger, with your Guide as co-pilot?"

The other man was an inch away from his face before he had a chance to blink.

"My Guide will not be put in harm's way." The blond hissed, eyes flashing.

Pentecost kept his expression neutral. "Some of our present pilots are Guides. More might join their ranks. Your call, Becket." He turned and began to walk away.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps behind him, even if Raleigh Becket was snarling softly at this blatant—but effective—manipulation.

Pentecost didn't care: he needed Becket for this and if playing off his protective instincts were what it took? Then so be it.

-x-x-x-x-

He stared at what the Marshal had handed him. It was a pill of some sort. He...wasn't sure what it was; Pentecost hadn't said. It smelled off; like disinfectants, like processed plants. He wrinkled his nose; between the smell of the pill and the thousand plus other scents vying for his attention on the damn helicopter, he was starting to feel nauseous.

Pentecost returned. "It's a suppressant. It'll enable you to function until a Guide can be found for you."

Raleigh made a face but downed it with some water. He was surprised; the water, at least, was definitely for a Sentinel, as it had no contaminants or other oddities that would give it a flavor.

"You'll be sparring with each of the cadets, as well as our pilots, once you're adjusted."

"Adjusted?"

"As a Sentinel, you don't just have heightened senses. Your reflexes and strength are also better, which means you will have to re-learn sparring. I won't have any of my Rangers out of commission because you cannot control your own strength."

Raleigh's lip curled in an almost-snarl before it faded abruptly. He recalled, absently, how he had been able to do several things while building the wall that, quite frankly, should not have been possible. The number of times he had nearly fallen, then suddenly found his balance. The fewer number of times he had, in sheer frustration, managed something that involved more strength than he should have had.

"Becket!"

He started, barely managing to stop himself from lashing out. "What?"

Pentecost was starting to look like he regretted coaxing/manipulating him off the wall.

Raleigh suppressed an eye roll. It was **his** idea to bring him along, take him off the wall, bring him back to civilization. He'd gotten used to living and working on the wall. The sharp smell of metal, the familiar smell of sweat, the days when it was so cold even his ability to detect scents was compromised. He'd liked those best, honestly, but...that wouldn't be the case now. He was going back to a Shatterdome. Just the memory of waking up in one, surrounded by all of the smells, sounds, was enough to make his nausea worse.

Abruptly, his sense of smell weakened, which meant the sick-smell that had been adding to his nausea disappeared. The sound of the chopper blades went from nearly-painful to muted. His clothing, some of which had been extremely uncomfortable, stopped irritating his skin. The nausea lessened, then faded.

"Suppressants." Pentecost repeated.

Raleigh swore there was a hint of smugness in his tone.

Forget having a Guide as copilot; keep him supplied with suppressants and he would be just fine.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh felt a bit adrift and not in the ghost-drifting sense. He was...used to relying on his senses, especially smell and hearing. Both meant no one snuck up on him, no one surprised him. Sight, he had learned to reign in within the first three weeks of coming online or else he'd have been completely useless. By reigned in, however, he meant all but shutting it off. Attempting to use his sight like a true Sentinel opened him up to too much of a risk of a zone. Touch...well, he'd learned to ignore it. Either he was uncomfortable or he was cold and he much preferred uncomfortable. Taste was no problem; the gruel they served for working half to death each day was the epitome of tasteless. Water was more of a problem but he preferred the off-taste to dehydration headaches.

But smell and hearing? He'd come to rely on them. Heavily. He didn't realize just how heavily until one of the others in the chopper managed to sneak up on him, twice. After that, he moved to the furthest corner he could reach and started paying attention. He hated being surprised, especially after...He kicked the thought away. That way lay a zone and it wouldn't be one Pentecost's yelling would be able to draw him from.

"Still with us, Becket?"

Raleigh smothered the urge to snarl and settled for giving Pentecost the best bitchface he had at his disposal.

...he wasn't expecting him to be impressed, but he wasn't expecting the almost-amused dismissal.

The person who kept supplying Pentecost with paperwork edged away from Raleigh, who turned his bitchface on them.

They quickly disappeared back into the cock pit.

Pentecost gave him a look that said clearly "behave" before he resumed his paperwork.

He grumbled to himself before settling and watching for the paperwork gremlin. Staring out the window would not end well, as he might be tempted to use his Sentinel-enhanced sight to get a better look at something. And while Pentecost had managed to pull him from an almost-zone...he had a feeling the man wouldn't be able to manage a true zone. He was commanding, a good leader from what he recalled, but Guide material he was not.

-x-x-x-x-

Meeting Miss Mori was...different. He knew, even with his senses muted, that she was a Guide. And while her presence made him want to simultaneously cuddle up with her and curl around her protectively, he knew instinctively that she was not **his Guide**. 

When he made his way to the room allotted to him, he was surprised to find it was clearly for a Sentinel. He hadn't seen anyone contacting the Shatterdome on the way back, so he was unsure of how that had happened. Then again, his senses were still muted, so someone could have called and he simply hadn't caught it...

A pamphlet was on the bed. "A Sentinel's Guide to the Senses; Or, How to Find Your Guide in--" Was as far as Raleigh read before he chucked it in the bin.

He already knew he had all five; he already knew his sight was good for nothing but zoning; he already knew he needed to learn how to dial down his senses of taste, hearing, smell and touch; he also already knew he'd have to be able to successfully meditate to do all those. As well as have a Guide.

Meditation was something he hadn't attempted, not since Knifehead. He swallowed, shoving back the memories that were trying to drag him off and under. What the med techs who'd tended him hadn't known was that Raleigh didn't come online after the event. He came online seconds before Yancy was ripped from the conn-pod. He'd been in complete agony all the way to the shore; it had been doubled by his newly heightened senses.

Before he drifted into a zone, his sense of smell kicked back up. He paused, then sniffed again. Whatever had just made its way past his door smelled...like man and sweat and deodorant, but something else too. Something almost like...like how his mom's pies had smelled, when he was little. With him and Yancy and Jazmine and his mom and his dad all crowded in the kitchen, the smell saturating their house, accompanied by warmth and laughter and family.

He blinked, then buried the memory. And tried to focus on dialing back down his sense of smell.

...perhaps the suppressant was wearing off?

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh eyed the bin; the pamphlet peeked out, as his throw had been imperfect. He debated picking it up to see if there was anything about the suppressants. Especially if they normally wore off on one sense only. The clock showed it was clearly time to eat and, admittedly, he was hungry but...

The idea of heading into such a crowded area, full of all the sounds and smells, not to mention that the food would probably be a lot more flavorful than he was used to...he shook his head. He'd wait until it was no longer prime-food-time, then go. ...then again, he was assuming it was like the Icebox in terms of what the time was when most went for dinner.

A small sigh escaped him as he slowly, painstakingly, began to work on dialing down his sense of touch. His clothing felt almost...normal. He was hoping this was due to some measure of control, not the suppressants. He turned his attention to attempting to dial down his sense of smell when there was a knock on his door.

Frowning, he rose and peered out through the helpful little spy-hole.

A woman wearing the normal 'tech' uniform stood there, expression vaguely annoyed.

"Yeah?" He asked, opening the door.

"Our dear leader sent me to play Guide until one can be selected from the candidates." She responded drolly. 

He nodded slightly. 

"Y'wanna practice here? Or d'you want me to show you where the best place for a Sentinel to relax is?"

"...here." He replied after a moment.

"Alright. Y'comfortable with me comin' in or...?"

He stepped aside and closed the door behind her.

"What d'ya wanna know?" She asked as she settled on his floor.

-x-x-x-x-

So far, Raleigh had learned that no, it wasn't normal for suppressants to suddenly wear off on one sense; every Sentinel had potential Guides but there was **a** Guide out there for them somewhere even though most eventually settled for the best potential one; bonding was, depending on the pair, either easy and loose or long and complicated; he had 'instincts', one of which had apparently been played upon to get him here (and her eyes had darkened in such a way that he knew the Marshal would be getting some sort of bitching at for that, despite the fact that she had not projected at all); and, the most important: do not underestimate Guides.

"So...you're a Guide...?"

"Yup." She popped the 'p', but it wasn't obnoxious. "Enough about me; what d'you need to know? Any other questions, concerns, kvetches?"

"Is meditation really necessary?"

She nodded. "Mental discipline and all that jazz. Helps with the controlling the senses bit. T'be honest? Wouldn't try it solo. Most Sentinels need a Guide to ground 'em."

He nodded, swallowing.

"D'you have any training at all...?"

"No. Self taught."

She sighed. "Alright. Show me what y'know."

-x-x-x-x-

Half an hour later, the unnamed tech looked suitably impressed.

"What?"

"For someone with no trainin', y'did pretty well. Especially where yer eyes are concerned. Not many'd be able t'figure that out."

He shrugged, but nodded when she offered to walk him through dialing down his senses.

-x-x-x-x-

She laughed at his expression. "Feels better, yah?"

He nodded.

"Ready t'try goin' to the mess? Or d'yah wanna try that another time?"

"Not today."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Will yah come t'medical at least? The one in charge of us Guides is all but frothing at the mouth 'bout you."

Raleigh made a face.

"Not in a jaeger fly way. In a 'holy fuck whose brilliant idea was it not to give him any training when I find the med techs that discharged him without it I will string them up by their innards' kinda way."

He huffed, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips.

"So. Med bay?"

He rose, still not quite happy but willing to go along.

As they headed down several musty-and-likely-underused-corridors, he found himself relaxing slightly. This tech, whoever she was, knew her stuff. 

"What's your name?" He finally asked after several moments.

"Wh...oh. Oh fuck. I'm sorry. I do that, sometimes. Moira."

"Raleigh." He supplied, even though she most likely knew.

She grinned. "Nice t'meetcha, Raleigh."

" **There** you are."

Moira gulped and looked like she was contemplating hiding behind Raleigh as a formidable looking man approached them, looking none too pleased.

-x-x-x-x-

After having a near-apoplexy over the stupidity and cruelty of the med techs who had discharged him, the head Guide asked him a series of questions. Most seemed stupid, but he...didn't want to disappoint either of them. He figured it had something to do with them being Guides and him being a Sentinel but he wasn't sure how it factored into it, exactly.

Moira observed, sitting on one of the beds. Her legs were short enough that they didn't touch the ground; she seemed quite happy enough to swing them as she hummed some sort of pop song.

"Why aren't you distracting?" He finally asked when the head Guide went back to get what he assumed was his file.

"Hm? Oh. Cuz I'm a Guide, I guess. I'm supposed to be soothing?"

"You have no idea."

"Preeeetty much. I'm kinda the default Guide until someone gets properly assessed. I thought for sure the Marshal would have Mori work with you, but..." She shrugged. "At any rate, when did the suppressants go wonky?"

"Smell just kinda..."

"Went off?" The head Guide missed little.

He nodded. "Was just in my room."

Moira frowned. "Huh. Weird."

"I'll look into it. At any rate, when was the last time you had any physical contact?"

Raleigh stared at the head Guide. "The fuck?"

"Physical contact is important to Sentinels, even unbound ones."

He thought back. "...does a fist fight count?"

"No it most certainly does not!"

-x-x-x-x-

From there, the head Guide had ranted and raved and muttered unflattering-sounding things before he produced a schedule. For the next week—at least—Raleigh was to report to the meditation area with Moira and practices with dialing down his senses. He also had mandatory cuddling with her.

The look on his face made her laugh. "Relax." She murmured. 

"Doesn't this..."

"No, I'm not some sort of touch-prostitute." Moira projected amusement, which made him relax.

When he made a face, she smiled.

"I always get that question, man. Used t'it now."

The head Guide looked like he wanted to facepalm; Raleigh just shook his head.

"Might as well go start--"

"We were workin' on that afore we came over here. If y'want him to have more than one of us t'work with, yeh'd do better to assign 'em now. That said, food and rest'd prolly be best right now." She cut in.

The head Guide frowned, but nodded. Then consulted his list. "Mori will join you two during your next sessions. Becket, I'd like you to get used to working with both Mori and Rowan, here."

"Isn't that a type of..."

"Wood. Yes."

He nodded in recognition, then led the way out after the other male shooed them out. 

The prospect of being alone after having spent time with someone who was calm and patient and understanding...it was not a pleasant one. Not to mention he had a feeling he'd be getting a true go-over from medical tomorrow. His dislike of the med ward, coupled with most likely not being permitted to exercise in order to exhaust himself so he could sleep...

"Hey." The gentle hand on his arm made his tensing muscles unlock. "Why don't you come grab some food with me? We can go find Mori, so you two can be intro'd or at least get a chance to talk before training."

He hesitated, then nodded, deciding not to point out that they had already met. At this point, he did not want to be alone, even though the idea of heading to the mess was a bit daunting.

"C'mon."

He followed, steeling himself.

-x-x-x-x-

When he was led to a small hallway that was close to the mess but not too much so...he was surprised.

"Mr. Becket." Mori greeted, a hint of what he wanted to term surprise in her tone.

"Miss Mori." He murmured in response, inclining his head slightly.

"Moira. Now that we've all said names, how 'bout we do the eating thing, yeah?"

The smallest of smiles appeared on Mori's face before she motioned them to the small kitchen.

"This is...?"

"The mess hall for Sentinels. Or those with people-phobia."

"It's anthropophobia." Came a testy voice.

Raleigh all but whirled around to find a middle-aged man behind them, leaning slightly on his cane. He was followed by a manic-looking man with glasses who was all but bouncing in place as they waited.

"My apologies, Dr. Gottlieb." Moira responded with a bow.

"Hey, new guy!" The other one grinned.

"Newt, Dr. Gottlieb, this is Raleigh. Raleigh, Newt and Dr. Gottlieb. Resident scientists."

Raleigh nodded tightly. The older-looking one, Dr. Gottlieb, seemed alright. A bit testy, but not ridiculously so. The smaller one, Newt...he narrowed his eyes.

"Sentinel." He stated flatly as he considered Newt.

Newt blinked. "Yeah, I am. You're one too?" Instead of hostile, he seemed...happy.

Raleigh fought the urge to move in front of both Moira and Mori. He did not want another Sentinel this close to them, especially one who was definitely...different.

"Relax." Mori murmured as Moira placed her hand on his arm again. "He is alright. He tends to view Sentinel-based things, like instincts, more as...scientific curiosities."

He glanced back at the other Sentinel, who merely grinned. A small sigh escaped him but he nodded. He kept both Guides in front of him, though. 

The three claimed an empty table after getting their food; Mori and Moira started to talk shop. Raleigh felt no need to join in, so he simply let the words wash over him as he ate. It was...surprisingly soothing. He was starting to think he'd been wrong, about not needing or wanting a Guide.

"So how long have you been online?" Newt chirped as he claimed the seat next to Moira.

Raleigh closed his eyes and barely managed to rein in the urge to punch the man. Twin waves of relax-its-fine washed over him from Mako and Mori, though neither made a move to touch him. He was all but instantly calmer, the desire to punch the other man gone.

"...sorry." The other Sentinel muttered. "Forgot not everyone's come online kinda...randomly."

"Five years." Raleigh finally offered.

"Wow." Newt murmured. "Who trained you?"

"We are." Mori cut in. "So not interrogating him would be appreciated, Dr. Newton."

"It's Newt." He grumbled, but there was no anger, no growl in his tone, so Raleigh stayed calm.

A long-suffering sigh escaped Dr. Gottlieb.

-x-x-x-x-

When they reached his room after dinner, the three hovered awkwardly. Raleigh did not know how to ask them if helping him sleep was possible, but it seemed neither was in a rush to let him to his own devices.

"Cards?" Moira offered, holding up a deck she'd extracted from her pocket.

Mori nodded; Raleigh knew, without looking, both could feel the relief coming from him. He opened his door to admit them and all settled themselves in for a card game.

"What if..." Mori began, then hesitated.

Raleigh turned his attention to her.

"What if, when we win, we tell something of ourselves?"

He paused, considering.

"So we turn it into a trust-building/getting-to-know-you exercise. I like your style, Mori-san!"

Mori smiled slightly; both seemed alright with the idea. Raleigh nodded.

-x-x-x-x-

Two hours later, he was the most relaxed he'd been since...

"Wanna pause and take a break for meditation?" Moira's voice dragged him from his near-zone.

He nodded and settled into the position most used when meditating. Mori and Moira scooted closer, so one of their knees was touching him, while the other was touching each other. The contact alone made him relax, even though it was just knees brushing.

-x-x-x-x-

When he woke up, everything hit him at once. The slightly musty smell of the room, coupled with two distinct scents that were of the Guides who had been here prior, the roughness of his pants as they dragged across his legs like sandpaper, the noise of however many people were in his range—the breathing, the moving, silverware clattering—

Everything cut off just as abruptly; he knew, without getting up, that both Mori and Moira were at his door. It might have been because they were projecting concern alongside their calm-quiet. He rose and let them in, hissing slightly when the bright light assaulted his eyes.

After two hours of meditation and dialing down his senses, it was better. 

He sighed softly. "Thanks." 

Mori wordlessly offered him a water bottle; Moira an apple. He accepted both, then watched as they exchanged a water bottle for a piece of fruit. 

After all had eaten and disposed of the remains of their meal, they all exchanged glances.

"Practice more or d'you think you can handle a tour of the Shatterdome?" Moira eventually asked.

His instincts—or what he thought they were—said he should stay in his room, his territory, with the two Guides who were helping him. Neither of them were 'his', but he wished to protect them all the same. On the other hand...he did want to get out. Wander around, stretch his legs...

"Medical would like to see Mr. Becket first." Mori murmured.

Raleigh tensed, but nodded. Both nudged him him; Mori using empathy, Moira with her knee.

"We won't abandon you to the needle-bastards, dude. Promise." Moira pulled a face.

"They do not like you anymore than you like them." Mori responded without any bite.

"Well, makes sense. I'm a horrible patient." The other girl shrugged, then rose and offered both a hand up.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh was startled when both Guides kept their word. Anytime the med techs tried to suggest they leave, they were swiftly corrected: with a bland, almost polite look from Mori and a bitch face from Moira. Both made him decide, quickly, that he had no desire to anger either of them. Especially given how quickly the med techs gave in once faced with either look.

He tolerated most of the poking and prodding without argument, but he knew both Guides could sense his rising agitation. It just reminded him too much of...

A hand on his arm, coupled with a querying-nudge from Mori pulled him out of his near-zone instantly.

"Thanks." He murmured.

Mori gave him a slight smile; Moira looked to do about the same before another tech suggested that they leave.

"Alright, enough." 

"We're not yet--"

"I don't care. We can do this in short shifts. Today's is over."

The med techs looked sour, but one took a look at his chart and quickly ushered the rest out.

"How 'bout lunch, then?"

Raleigh's stomach chose that moment to growl. Mori sighed quietly but led the way after he slipped his lumpy sweater back on.

"Was it necessary to do that?" Mori asked once they were out of earshot of the infirmary.

"They already dislike me and Becket here--"

"Raleigh." He murmured.

Both stopped and looked at him.

"Raleigh is fine." He elaborated.

"Raleigh it is, then."

Mori nodded.

"Raleigh was gettin' unsettled and apparently none of the techs thought to look at his chart prior t' beginnin', elsewise they'd've known that they were only unsettlin' him further every time they tried t'send us away." She continued. "Besides, like I said...they don't like me. It doesn't matter if they get pissed cuz I was rude. You hold yourself to a higher level of conduct than I do; I admire you for it, honestly, but I really don't have that kind of discipline."

"In fewer words, you knew if I interceded, it would have been in a polite manner, which would have taken time since the medical techs were too focused on Raleigh." Mori stated.

She nodded. "Pretty much."

Raleigh smiled, slightly, as the Guides walked in front of him. Moira seemed to do more talking, but Mori was concise, though not nearly as non-verbal as he was. He felt...fairly content. Like he had prior to Yancy's death.

He waited for the zone but it didn't come; he turned his gaze back to the Guides in front of him. If this was how much more focused, how much...better...he was, after just a day or so in their company...

-x-x-x-x-

After that, his days took a pattern. The three met in his room—his 'territory', both Mori and Moira called it and he didn't think they were joking—for a light breakfast, then worked on meditation and dialing down his senses until 11. From there, they went to medical, where he begrudgingly let them poke and prod and run tests on him for a half an hour. It was made slightly more bearable by the snarking back and forth between Moira and one of the med techs. Occasionally even Mori joined in, but only when the med tech was out of line.

From there, they met up with Dr. Gottlieb and Newt for lunch. He spent most of his time listening to the conversations, just soaking them and the companionship in. After a week or so, the topic of astronomy coupled with Greek mythology got brought up. It had gone strong since, which both amused and exasperated him. Amused because it was obvious the four conversationalists were extremely different people, but all had the same interest in either the stars or the myths. Exasperated because it had been almost a month, now, and they were **still** going.

After that, since he had largely been cleared by medical, he was allowed in the Kwoon. He either ran through practice drills on his own or observed the other two. If they weren't in the Kwoon, they were either giving him a tour or showing him where they worked and what they did. He honestly preferred working with Mori to working with Moira, as Mori was a silent, steady worker. Moira was loud and bouncy and gave him near-heart attacks with how haphazardly she seemed to move around the hangars, let alone on the jaegers themselves. 

Gipsy was almost finished being restored. He both dreaded and looked forward to the day she was. On one hand, it meant he'd be in the conn-pod again. The last place he saw, heard, spoke to Yancy. On the other, he'd be doing the only thing he had ever really wanted to do: pilot. He was...nervous, to be honest. Who would they give him as co-pilot? He'd made himself clear in regards to whether the person could be a Guide or not, but...he didn't know if Pentecost would listen.

After working with one of the two, they would go to the side-mess hall, grab food and retreat back to his room. They normally ate in silence, then resumed the now-normal card game where winner had to give some sort of tidbit about themselves if they won. While they switched the game itself up often, he found himself enjoying it nonetheless. Both Guides were relaxed and open with him; he was starting to open up to them as well. Once between five or ten hands had been played—less if someone was winning too often and getting self conscious—the three would sit on his bed, sides touching and watch some sort of film. 

The contact grounded him, soothed him in even a way their empathy didn't. He was almost giddy off it, which both terrified and surprised him. He'd had little to no contact while he had been on the wall, unless a handful of fist fights counted. For the most part, he'd kept to himself, hadn't tried to make friends, had just existed...

And now, between Mori and Moira, it was like he was slowly being woken up, being dragged back from 'existing' to 'living'. Dr. Gottlieb and Newt were part of that too, though Newt getting too close to either Guide still made him tense and fight the urge to snarl at him to back off.

It was weird. Both Guides never mocked or chided him for this; they simply helped him calm and that was it. He guessed the protectiveness was part of the whole Sentinel package, but then why had he not been that way on the wall? Were there really no Guides there...?

"Rahls!"

A knock at the door caused all three to start, which in turn caused him to smother a snarl. He put himself between the Guides and the door before he flung it open.

A surprised Tendo Choi blinked at him.

The tension began to seep out of his form. "Tendo." He managed out as calmly as possible.

"Sorry to startle you. Just figured I'd drop by, say hi..."

Raleigh nodded stiffly. The two stood there, awkwardly, until Mori sighed.

"He is a Sentinel, Choi." 

"Oh." There was a wealth of realization in that tone. "My bad, man. If I'd known, let alone that you were with Guides..."

Raleigh sighed. "Not your fault. I've been here a month and still haven't stopped to see you."

Tendo glanced, briefly, at Mori and Moira. "Well, now I know why. It's good to see you, though."

He nodded before offering a "you too".

The rest of their conversation was short, but a hell of a lot less awkward. Tendo smiled and waved before he headed off to do whatever it was the J-Tech Chief did in his downtime.

Raleigh watched him go silently and for the first time in a while, cursed the fact that he'd come online.

-x-x-x-x-

"We can try going into the mess hall if you want to, Raleigh." Mori murmured as they finished meditation. Moira was absent today, as one of the jaegers from the Sydney Shatterdome was in for emergency repairs after a drop nearby.

He nodded, reluctantly. 

His control was ridiculously better and, so long as either Mori or Moira was around, he could easily use one of his senses as Sentinels normally did. The problem with going back out amongst crowds was more of a matter of his memories. His time on the wall. His time in medical. They were not pleasant, they were not happy and they were not something he wanted to relive. And while he knew both Guides would help him out if he started zoning and he had even gotten better at catching himself, as well as not zoning as much in general...he knew most of the people here most likely saw him as a fuck-up. A washed-up has-been who Pentecost dragged here because he had no other choice. And he had no desire to prove them right, especially not with what was at least a fourth of the damned Shatterdome there.

"M—Raleigh?"

He smiled slightly; he knew she'd been about to call him Mr. Becket. "We can." 

-x-x-x-x-

When they were at the door, he almost turned around and went back to his room. He liked his room. It was small and smelled like him and the Guides he had gotten to know and trust. It was also fairly calm and quiet and lacked the fanfare that the packed areas of the Shatterdome had in spades.

Then he reminded himself of what he was here for. Why he was here. How the fuck was he supposed to even think about getting back into Gipsy's conn-pod if he couldn't even brave the mess hall for a meal?

The whispers began almost the moment he and Mori entered, but both ignored them in favor of food. They claimed an empty table; Newt and Dr. Gottlieb soon found them, then joined them. 

"Yer in my seat, has-been."

The entire mess hall seemed to quiet at that.

Raleigh knew there was someone standing behind him. That they were near or of a height with himself. Male, probably well-muscled if the body heat coming off them was any indication. Knew they had a dog—no idea what kind, but definitely one that drooled a fair bit. The scent beneath that—the one unique to each individual—was...slightly familiar. He'd definitely been somewhere near them before?

"Ya deaf? I said--"

"Heard what you said." Raleigh responded without turning around. He'd identified whoever the annoying voice was as a Guide. No threat.

"Then—"

"Chuck, leave him be." Someone else slid into the open seat on his left. He flicked his gaze that way, briefly, and saw that it was Herc Hansen.

Which meant the annoying one behind him was most likely Chuck Hansen.

He recalled their kill-count and suddenly felt sick. Chuck Hansen was a Guide. He had no place in combat, in danger, in a jaeger. Even if he was one of the best, every instinct Raleigh had was completely against it. Guides did not belong in danger, regardless of how well-trained. 

Not Chuck Hansen. Not Mori. Not Moira, either.

"Don't mind my son. He's..."

"Difficult." Dr. Gottlieb finished blandly.

Raleigh nodded; he focused his hearing and heard boots stomping away. He guessed the younger Hansen must have stormed off...?

Herc watched him, then nodded, seemingly content with what he'd found in Raleigh's expression. The conversation about myths and astronomy resumed, though Herc, like Raleigh, seemed to prefer listening.

"Found a co-pilot yet?" Herc finally questioned.

"Been training, but they haven't wanted to risk the cadets yet." That thought left a bitter taste in Raleigh's mouth. He would never purposefully harm someone in sparring. It went against his nature as a Sentinel, especially if his sparring partner was a Guide.

"Risk the—you're a Sentinel?"

He glanced at Herc again, then nodded. 

Herc frowned.

That was when realization dawned and he had to leave the mess hall before he was sick.

Both Hansens were Guides. Neither were bound.

...then again, that might be a good thing. Them going out into danger as they did? Would be enough to drive any Sentinel bound to them insane.

-x-x-x-x-

"What happened?" Mori asked softly as she coaxed him to eat some fruit she had brought with her.

"They're **_Guides_**." He managed out.

"They—Ranger Hansen and...the younger Hansen?"

He nodded tightly, jaw muscle working. "They're Guides and Pentecost just lets them--!"

A wave of calm-quiet enveloped him as he struggled with his temper.

"They're Guides." He growled out, knowing he was projecting frustration and helplessness and rage.

"I know." Mori murmured and placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Marshal is not a Guide nor a Sentinel. He does not know, does not understand."

"He understands enough." Came the tired, flat grumble as Moira entered with her lunch. "Y'better take some, man. Tendo did his Tendo-thing and got me extra food for yeh."

That helped to dissipate some of the lingering rage and frustration, but not by much. Having two Guides he knew and trusted, though...that helped a lot more. They were here, with him, safe. He could protect them, at least.

He reluctantly ate some of the food, then ate a bit more when both Guides glowered at him.

"At any rate...Striker's fixed. Jesus fucking Christ on a cracker."

Raleigh suppressed a growl. "Damage?"

She sighed. "It'll only piss y'off more, Raleigh."

"Don't care."

Mori and Moira exchanged glances.

"Not as bad as it could've been, but not the best either. They're talented pilots, not gonna deny that ever but...they're not careful. They're really not."

The blood in Raleigh's veins felt like it had iced over. Reckless, was the word she had skirted around. The word that named the attitude, the series of actions, that had cost his brother his life. Before he had time to take that thought any further, he was sandwiched between two Guides who were doing their damndest to calm him.

He let the warm-calm-safe-comfort feeling envelop him and was dragged into a discussion of Lord of the Rings, which they had watched last week. The fantasy-talk helped ground him further, but he knew no matter what was done, the little ball of frustration-rage-helplessness would continue to exist, continue to simmer until the kaiju were killed off for good, whatever Pentecost's plan was.

He didn't even want to think about what would happen if the Hansens were killed in combat.

-x-x-x-x-

His daily routine was shaken up the next day when, after just an hour of meditation/training, he was escorted to the med bay by both of the Guides.

"Alright." The head Guide murmured once he had settled himself as comfortably as possible. "You're cleared. For the first week, though, only to practice with Guides. Especially these two."

"Two?" Raleigh repeated, glancing at Moira.

"Two." Moira responded cheerfully enough.

"As to the suppressant malfunction, well, no leads yet. But I've only skimmed the surface of the database in between playing psychologist to the largest kindergarten class to ever grace the face of the planet." He added, face appropriately deadpan.

Raleigh resisted the urge to laugh. Barely.

The sudden, if small, smile that bloomed across the head Guide's face made it worth it, though.

"Good job, all three of you."

-x-x-x-x-

"Finish meditation or dial-down practice, then lunch, then spar?" Moira suggested.

"Sounds good." Raleigh responded. 

Mori smiled; Moira whooped.

He looked between them, visibly confused.

"You are becoming more verbal. This means that you are healing." Mori explained. "We had wondered, whether our assistance was helping..."

"And now we know for sure." Moira finished, grinning.

He nodded then resumed heading back to his room. Both kept in step with him, projecting happiness. He guessed healing wasn't so bad, then, if it meant they were happy. Maybe he could be happy again too...

-x-x-x-x-

"Who the fuck let the has-been room here?" Came the irritated snarl as the three approached his room.

"Let it go." 

That hurt, honestly. He knew that Herc agreed, even if he hadn't said as much. He respected the man; for him to be in agreement with his asshole-son...

"He's not a fucking pilot, he's a has-been who sacrificed his fucking brother!"

Raleigh felt the blood drain from his face. He wanted to lash out, to snarl and attack and prove to this insulting little bastard that he had not, would not ever. Not anyone, especially not his brother...! But his instincts held that urge at bay, as the speaker was a Guide. An unbound Guide. 

Fortunately for his peace of mind, neither Mori nor Moira had such instincts.

Moira guided him to his room; he could tell despite her not projecting that she was furious. It might've been the shaking or the way that her jaw was clenched.

When Mori joined them moments later, there was a cut on her eyebrow that sluggishly bled and her knuckles were split. Raleigh's stomach dropped— _Guide hurt Guide hurt Guide hurt_ —but Moira and Mori deftly and quickly treated the minor injuries.

"Relax." Mori stated. "I am fine."

"Hansen fucking won't be, when I get my hands on him." Hissed Moira. "I don't give a flying fuck who he is, you don't say shit like that."

Mori sighed. "The Marshal will not be happy..."

"He can be as unhappy as he damn pleases. This is fucking bullshit!"

-x-x-x-x-

Mori was suspended from the program for a day for the fight; the Hansens and their jaeger were sent on their merry way.

While the person in question accepted the punishment without reservation, well...Raleigh and Moira? Not so much.

The two ranted and raved back and forth at one another, working the other up, while Mori observed.

"I appreciate that you are willing to defend me." She murmured during a slight break in their tirade. "But I knew my actions would have consequences and I accepted them the moment I lashed out."

"Fist fighting is supposed to have consequences." Moira returned. "But that should be the same for both parties—including the motherfucking assturd who egged you on."

"Agreed." Raleigh seethed. 

"Knock knock!" Chirped Newt as he poked his head in.

"Newt." Raleigh greeted flatly. He was beginning to get used to the other man, the other Sentinel. His instincts weren't happy about that, not exactly but...

"I had an idea..." Newt murmured; Dr. Gottlieb greeted them all stiffly, face long-suffering.

"And I have a vision of the Shatterdome coming apart at the seams because of your 'idea'." Moira retorted, smirking when Newt scowled.

Raleigh was startled but pleased to note his instincts didn't direct him to remove Newt's head from his body.

"Well, you'll need to learn how to deal with your instincts while sparring with other Sentinels, yeah?" Newt addressed Raleigh.

He nodded, not sure he liked where this was going.

"Well. Why not spar with me? You're kinda used to me, right?"

Mori, Moira and Gottlieb exchanged 'I don't like this, I **_really_** don't like this' looks.

"Kinda." Raleigh echoed. He wasn't too sure, either. Then again...he did need the practice. And while he had gotten much better at controlling his strength, especially when he went up against either of the Guides...there was a chance the one most drift-compatible with him would be a Sentinel.

"Well, c'mon then!" Newt prodded cheerfully.

"For the record? I really, really think this is a bad idea." Moira mumbled as they headed to the Kwoon.

"Is that why you've switched accents?" Dr. Gottlieb responded drolly.

"Both are normal for me but sure, yeah, let's go with that." The female Guide mumbled.

-x-x-x-x-

Surprisingly, it did not end in unmitigated disaster. Raleigh was able to keep up with the sprightly Sentinel; he was also able to keep himself in check, keep himself under control. He did not lash out inappropriately or harm Newt, though towards the end it got a little close.

He shook hands with the man afterward and was a bit taken aback by how easy it was, for the most part.

He remained silent through lunch, tuning out the still-going conversation on astronomy and Greek myth.

-x-x-x-x-

"...is it...normal?" He finally asked once he and—he tried not to think of them as 'his', because they were not...and yet they felt like they were, sometimes—the Guides were safely in his room.

"Specify." Moira prodded while Mori looked at him curiously.

"The...control."

"How well you handled this?" Mori prompted.

He nodded.

"It depends. If it was someone who had extensive training over a period of time, it would be normal. Abnormal for them to lack this control." Mori murmured.

"In your case, s'pretty damn good. Especially since it's only been, what, a month an' a half or somethin'?"

Raleigh nodded. "So the Marshal..."

"Will prolly wanna test y'soon. Yeah. Give it another week or til th' end of the' week an' he'll prolly start havin' y'spar with the cadets."

Mori considered it before she nodded in agreement. "This seems most likely."

Raleigh poked around for the cards as he considered his feelings on the subject. On one hand, he was...he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited to be back in the conn-pod, back in Gipsy. Ready to fight and defend and protect. On the other, the thought of stepping foot back into a conn-pod, let alone that conn-pod, brought the icy chill of sheer terror back to the fore. Yancy's last emotion, communicated directly through the Drift before the sudden--

Moira's hand ended up on his shoulder as Mori gave him the empathic version of a hug.

He shuddered, then found himself the filling in a Guide-sandwich. "Thanks."

"No thanks needed. We are Guides, we are to stop you from zoning."

"It's what we do, duh."

Mori glowered at Moira.

Raleigh chuckled, slightly. "Powerpuff girls?"

Mori stared at him, while Moira cracked up.

"You are officially my favorite person ever." Moira managed out as she wiped away tears of mirth.

Raleigh smiled. Awkwardly.

Mori covered her smile with a hand. "She does not mean it as a proposal or confession, Raleigh."

He relaxed slightly. While he...he'd be lying if he said he wasn't wondering, now, what it'd be like to be bound to a Guide. Let alone to **his** Guide. But with how he was right now? He didn't think being bound to someone would be a good idea. Drifting, to be honest...well, it'd be safer now that he had some measure of control. It wasn't quite ingrained, not yet, but it was getting there. Thankfully he'd had no more episodes, no more complete lapses in control. And while neither of the Guides wandered very far, he knew that part of it had to do with his improved control.

"Chill." Moira added. "You'n'Mori are already on my 'favorite people' list simply by virtue of being friends."

"Just friends?" Mori pressed.

"Don't get me wrong, you're both awesome but..."

"You want your Sentinel, not a Sentinel." Raleigh offered tentatively.

She grinned. "Yeah. I don't mind helping out and making friends is always welcome but..."

"No offense taken." Raleigh looked away and smothered a sigh. While being able to think of Yancy most times without zoning or a raw, exposed feeling...the constant wondering about his Guide, if they even existed...it made him feel young and stupid again. Like some lovesick teenager sighing over a crush. One he'd never seen, never met, had no idea what they were like or what they looked like.

"Broody McBrooderson. How 'bout we watch a movie instead of cards for tonight?" Moira suggested.

"Really?" Raleigh responded flatly.

Mori covered another smile, but both of them ended up giggling, which got her giggling as well.

-x-x-x-x-

As predicted, at the end of the week, Pentecost allowed him to begin to spar with the cadets.

Thanks to training with Mori, Newt and Moira, he was able to keep himself well in hand. He was faster and stronger but tempered; he knew the exact amount of strength to use so as to win, but not do harm. He also held back as far as speed went, since most of the candidates were not Sentinels. Those that were got less...mercy...than those that weren't.

In spite of being able to control himself to an extent that he knew impressed the Marshal—whose eyebrows had been raised; he didn't need to be Mori or Moira to know that meant surprise—it was still an unmitigated disaster. None of the recruits clicked, even slightly. There was absolutely no compatibility between him and them. If anything, some of them were the antithesis of compatible with him; twice he had to finish the match sloppily before he lost control. (To be fair, both of them had been Sentinels who were eying Mori or Moira, so they'd brought that reaction on themselves.)

Pentecost frowned. He could almost see the man running through their options; he could always make them run through every candidate again, but he knew the Marshal knew this would do no good. 

"Sir?" Mori spoke up.

Raleigh glanced at her sharply, then to Moira. Mori ignored him, focused on Pentecost; Moira shook her head, as though telling him not to ask.

Pentecost looked like he had swallowed a lemon, but nodded stiffly. Mori's eyes widened before she handed her clipboard to Moira, then pulled off her heavy outer shirt. 

Raleigh fought the urge to snarl at Pentecost as it clicked; Mori was being tested as a candidate. When he glanced at her, though, he could see how happy she was about this. She...wanted to fight, wanted to be a pilot. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath; shoved the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach down. With any luck, they wouldn't be compatible.

-x-x-x-x-

They were. They were almost perfectly matched; nearly as good as he and Yancy had been. If they'd had more time together, a chance to get to know one another better, he knew that both of them would have been as evenly matched as he had once been with his brother. The pride on Mori's face...

He didn't want to quash it. But the idea of getting in Gipsy with her, bringing her into danger...it made him sick. Guides did not belong in combat, even if they were trained. Even if they were clearly his equal in terms of fighting.

Pentecost seemed to smother a sigh as he turned; Moira obligingly turned the clipboard over to him.

"I've seen all I need to know."

Raleigh shoved the sick feeling down again and managed out, "me too." He put an arm around Mori. "She's my copilot." Every instinct he had gnashed their teeth at that declaration but he shoved them away. Mori was...she was trained. She knew what she needed to do. And he'd rather her in the conn pod with him, than in the Shatterdome without. When it was put that way, his instincts quieted some.

Pentecost considered him. "Meet in one hour for testing. You'll find out who your copilot is then."

Raleigh nodded, jaw clenched.

Mori and Moira exchanged glances, then coaxed him back to his room.

-x-x-x-x-

"You have not changed your mind about Guides and combat, have you?" Mori murmured after watching him pace his small room for the past fifteen minutes.

"Haven't." Raleigh bit out. "But." 

Both approached, as he'd stopped. Once they were in arms' length, he pulled both into a hug. 

"But." He started again. "It's what you want. And you...you're good."

"Think of it this way." Moira added. "You'll be with Mori, so she'll be safe. And you can help protect the Hansens, too."

"Are you sure?" Mori questioned. 

Raleigh nodded, though he knew he was pale and most likely shaking. "You're my copilot, Mori."

She smiled, though there was a hint of concern there. "Then it should be Mako, now. Since we will be inside one another's minds."

That threw Raleigh for enough of a loop that he forgot, for a moment. "A-are you sure?"

Mori—no, Mako—nodded. "That goes for you as well."

Moira blinked. "But, I'm not gonna be in either of you guys' heads. Well, I hope so. Weird shit happens in the drift, or so I've heard."

A weak huff of laughter escaped Raleigh; Mako grinned slightly.

"As long as the Marshal says it's alright, then..." Mako murmured. "We are copilots."

Raleigh nodded. "We'll do it. Together."

Moira ruined the moment when she asked, "are we quoting Digimon now?"

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh held still while the dive suit techs outfitted him with the aforementioned tech. It was different from his old one; it was sleek, pure black...yeah, the distraction wasn't working. He was still tied in knots over Mako being his copilot.

On one hand, she wanted it. He knew, without her projecting, that she did. For the brief moment she had projected, it was such a tangle of emotions that he couldn't even begin to understand. Either way, he knew she wanted to fight. And he also knew she was damn good; had beaten him 4-3 in their match. Had managed to take him down, so he was flat on his back on the mat, looking up at her in shock.

His instincts weren't so swayed. While the idea of her being safe with him quieted them somewhat, he was still going into combat. With a Guide. Who he should be protecting. And the argument that bringing her along was protecting her didn't seem to be working. He focused on the fact that she would be safer with him; that he could also protect the Hansens...

He pushed down the flashback that threatened to overwhelm him as he entered Gipsy's conn pod. He took a breath, then released it. For better or worse, he was back. And so was Gipsy. It was time to see who he'd be sharing headspace with, though he didn't dare try to use his senses to do so. He had much better control than before, but he knew that doing so right now would be a bad idea.

Mako smiled at him as she entered, helmet in hand.

Raleigh was nearly swept away by a wave of relief-sickness but pushed it away. He was...he trusted Mako. She could do this. Which meant he had to be able to as well. That gave him pause; did Guides even have instincts in relation to combat? He shook the thought away and got into position.

"Ready?" Tendo's voice came from the comm. 

"Weapons offline?" Raleigh asked before he could stop himself. Mako, to his knowledge, had yet to drift; he had no idea what'd happen, what with all the fucked up memories he'd bring with him. The last thing he wanted was to risk demolishing the Shatterdome.

"Yeah, bro, no worries. We remembered."

The unspoken 'this time' made the smallest of bitter smiles cross his face. His and Yancy's first test run had nearly created a new skylight in the Icebox, courtesy of the plasma cannon.

He glanced to Mako, widened his smile and toned down the bitterness. She nodded, smiling back in return.

"Ready?" Tendo asked again.

"Yep."

"Yes."

"Initiating neural handshake..."

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh barely made his shaking fingers do as he commanded; he fumbled getting Mako out of the harness but caught her and pulled her to him. She was still wide-eyed and shocked; she leaned against him, trying to catch her breath.

"At least the roof's intact." Raleigh found himself mumbling shakily.

The slightest smile was Mako's reply; he pulled her closer, trying to offer what comfort he could.

Now he knew. Knew what caused the complicated mess of emotions. Knew why she wanted to fight. Knew why this was so important to her.

They'd fucked it up. Him by breaking out of alignment first because of his memories of Yancy; her because her memories were too strong. 

"Think you can give it another go?" He asked quietly once her shaking stopped.

She nodded, expression determined.

"That's enough for today." Pentecost stated. There was a beat of silence before he added, "we'll try again tomorrow."

Mako relaxed; Raleigh let out a soft sigh, then helped her up. He kept his arm around her as they exited the conn pod; the idea of letting her far from him was unsettling right now.

-x-x-x-x-

The idea of facing everyone in the mess hall was too daunting. Neither were hungry; they instead retreated to Raleigh's room.

"Sorry." He offered.

"We both messed up." She responded as she considered the wall.

"Aaaaaand that's a wrap. You both fucked up, you both learned something, now angst time is over." Moira stated as she made her way in with enough food for all three.

"You're a bit of a force of nature, aren't you?" Raleigh found himself grumbling as he was prodded into eating.

"Fear me, for I am Hurricane Moira." She snarked, deadpan.

Instead of the usual laughter, they just grinned weakly.

"Alright, I'll stop with th' botherin'. Just eat, alri'?"

"Aye aye, Captain." Raleigh muttered.

Once they finished eating, the three sat on his bed together; for the first time since they had drifted, Raleigh found himself relaxing. Mako, in turn, relaxed as well. Moira just threw a blanket over both of them.

"Where y'goin?" He slurred, exhaustion catching up with him.

"I'll be right back." Was the mysterious reply.

"Hate it when she does that." He mumbled petulantly.

Mako just giggled quietly, leaning against him. He smiled slightly and rested his head on top of hers; both were safe and warm and comfortable. They'd messed up, but they hadn't done it in the field. No one had been in danger; no one got hurt because of it. In retrospect, things could have been worse.

-x-x-x-x-

The smell of chocolate woke him. 

"Nnnn?" He grumbled. 

Mako's smile peeked over the edge of her mug, which held some sort of steaming liquid.

Moira offered him his own cup; he accepted it and looked down to find hot cocoa with marshmellows.

"How...?" He asked softly.

"M' grandda. He doesn't approve of me bein' here, not really. But he supports me in his own way. An' he knows how much I love hot cocoa." She supplied before taking a swig from her own cup. "Mmm. And, yes, I am a dork. Because Harry Potter gave me this idea."

"Drifting is on par with dementors?" Mako responded.

"I'll agree the most recent one was." Raleigh muttered before he took a sip himself. The taste, one he hadn't had in a while, was heavenly. And the warmth that seemed to seep into his core and spread from there? That was just a bonus.

The three spent the rest of the time talking about inconsequential things; both Raleigh and Mako felt better, between the casual chatter and the cocoa. Moira just grinned and offered to get them each another mug.

-x-x-x-x-

"Raleigh." Herc Hansen nodded in greeting.

Raleigh nodded stiffly back. "Sir."

Chuck glared, seemingly trying to kill him with his gaze.

Mako ignored him and greeted Herc considerably more warmly.

Moira, who'd just wandered in, stopped. Then stared. "Who the fuck invited them?"

Raleigh shrugged; Mako gave a hum of acknowledgment but did not otherwise respond.

"Who the fuck invited you?" Chuck snapped back, then got a soda dumped on his head, coupled with a danish to the face. As he spluttered angrily, Moira dragged him and Mako off.

-x-x-x-x-

All three jolted awake at once.

"Uh..." Raleigh mumbled.

"That happens, sometimes. The dream sharin'." Moira supplied before bursting into giggles.

"Wait..." Mako murmured. "I heard Chuck was ambushed in the cafeteria before he left..."

"Guilty as charged." Moira managed out. "I told you guys he'd wish he hadn't."

"You actually dumped a soda on him, then ...danish'd him?" Raleigh choked out.

"Yes. Yes, I did. An' I'm happy to report his faces at th' time were just as hilarious as in that dream."

Mako shook her head, stifling her amusement, while Raleigh and Moira laughed til their sides hurt.

-x-x-x-x-

"You are horrible but it is awesome." Raleigh stated as the three of them headed to breakfast.

"Thank you very much, kind sir." Moira responded before snickering.

Mako shook her head. "How is it I am the youngest?"

"Uh. You were born last?" Moira supplied while Raleigh snickered.

The failure last night seemed so much further away; almost like it was in a different life time. The fact that he was laughing and joking and carrying on with two Guides who trusted him—one of whom had been inside his head—...it was nice. Comfortable. The most at home he'd felt since Yancy had died.

"I told ya they'd be useless." Came the annoyed tones of Chuck Hansen.

Mako and Raleigh, as one, grabbed Moira and pushed her towards the food line. As funny as the soda-danish prank had been, a repeat was not needed.

"Asshole." She seethed as she handed them trays.

"No arguments." Raleigh muttered.

Mako was silent.

-x-x-x-x-

"Oh, look, it's Rahhhhleigh. Thought you'd've ran off again. All you seem to be good at doin'." Chuck called as the three took seats at Newt and Dr. Gottlieb's table. Mako and Raleigh ignored him, though they both squished Moira between them, as she was radiating murderous intent.

"He's a bit of an ass, huh?" Newt supplied in lieu of conversation.

"No. Arguments." Moira bit out before stabbing her eggs.

Dr. Gottlieb sighed. "He needs to learn some manners. Even you behave better than he, Newton."

"Newt." Said scientist pouted.

"Newton." Dr. Gottlieb responded.

Moira's eye twitched.

Mako and Raleigh looked at each other, then decided it wasn't worth it and went back to eating.

"Today has to be a Monday." Moira mumbled as the argument between Newt and Dr. Gottlieb got pettier.

"Nope, Wednesday, actually." Raleigh sighed.

-x-x-x-x-

"Petition to ban Chuck from LOCCENT." Raleigh muttered as he and Mako got suited up.

"I can start one?" Moira offered mildly. The other two had managed to calm her down, although she still glowered at Chuck whenever he was in view.

"I'll sign." One of the dive techs muttered as they attached a piece of the suit to Raleigh.

Raleigh sighed and glanced at Mako.

She was calm, resolute. Through the weak neural bridge between them from the first failed drift, he could sense that she was just as she appeared. There was no panic, no reluctance.

Both walked towards the conn pod; this time, they'd do it right.

-x-x-x-x-

"Ready?" Tendo asked hesitantly.

"Yep!"

"Yes."

"Initiating neural handshake."

-x-x-x-x-

Both were buffeted by memories but this time they were able to ignore them, let them flow past as they were supposed to. He felt Mako smile, slightly, as they synced. 

Tendo's gleeful "synced and ready to go, guys!" caused him to grin as well.

As one, he and Mako moved; Gipsy moved with them. It was a heady feeling, being back in a jaeger. Tendo had them walk her around the hangar. As the two passed LOCCENT, they saw the Marshal watching; even from this distance, it was obvious he was proud.

That, combined with how happy Mako was, helped Raleigh to tell his instincts to fuck off.

-x-x-x-x-

"Why the hell d'we have t' go back t' Sydney for the decom?" Chuck growled, then shrunk slightly under the glare leveled at him by Pentecost.

"Orders are orders." His dad responded tersely.

The Wei Tangs watched, seemingly mastering their amusement at Chuck's sudden backing off. The Russians stood together; tall, imposing and impassive. Mako and Raleigh exchanged small glances but neither showed amusement at Chuck's reaction.

"While they are gone, I expect the three remaining teams to socialize. This means outside of the Kwoon, gentlemen." Pentecost's firm look lingered on the Wei Tangs, whose innocent looks fooled no one. "When Striker returns, Echo and Vulcan will be accompanying her. Becket, Mori, you will shadow Echo's team when they arrive. They are a bonded pair, unlike you two, but they might have tips for you on how to handle fighting as Sentinel and Guide."

Raleigh and Mako nodded in unison; their neural bridge had only strengthened since the last drift. He thought he saw the corner of Sasha's mouth twitch at that, but he decided it was a trick of the lighting.

"Dismissed." Pentecost stated; the teams obligingly left his office, though Chuck was still fuming.

-x-x-x-x-

"It has been a while, Becket boy." Sasha greeted as she and Aleksis took the seats across from Raleigh and Mako.

The two had chosen to sit in the smaller mess hall, as they were conversing via the neural bridge and both had agreed the noise levels in the larger one would too much to deal with.

"Privet." Raleigh responded; it was the only Russian he knew, aside from some colorful words he had no intention of ever saying to Sasha because he liked living.

His horrible pronunciation caused both of their lips to twitch into almost-smiles. 

"Good to see you again." Mako stated; Sasha offered her a small bow, similar to the one Raleigh had offered upon their greeting. 

Aleksis did the same before he remarked, "you are having grown since last time."

Mako ducked her head slightly. "Still not as tall as you."

Raleigh glanced at Sasha; she seemed faintly amused by the interaction.

"Yo!" Greeted one of the Wei Tangs as the three claimed the rest of the seats at the table.

Raleigh and Mako nodded; Sasha gave them a bland look; Aleksis grunted in acknowledgment. 

"I am Cheung. That is Jin and that is Hu."

He nodded, still not sure he'd be able to tell them apart until he got to know them better. Mako's amusement at that thought drifted across the bridge. 

"What is the Marshal having in mind, you think?" Sasha queried after all had begun to eat.

Raleigh paused, considering, then shrugged. "Not sure." 

"Another run on the Breach." Cheung suggested; Jin made a face while Hu focused on his food.

"It has not worked before." Aleksis rumbled.

"Hey, mind if we join?" Newt's smile didn't drop at all when all the pilots turned to look at him. Dr. Gottlieb looked like he was about to sigh, though this one looked more to be of amused exasperation.

"Do not start with Becket boy." Was Sasha's coolly calm proclamation as Newt dragged chairs over for him and Dr. Gottlieb. 

"Newt's not a problem." Raleigh supplied before he covered a yawn.

Mako smiled as the triplets and the Russians exchanged glances.

"You are Sentinel, are you not?" Jin asked.

"Yeah, I am. But I've been around Newt pretty much every day since I got here."

"Speaking of everyday...where's our tech-friend?" Newt prodded.

Those unused to his antics stared at either him or Raleigh.

He shrugged. "Been busy, I guess. She said something about battening down the hatches..." He frowned. While she wasn't his Guide and he had no intention of bonding with her...she was still a Guide. And definitely a friend.

Mako covered her giggle with her hand. "Her brother is a pilot. One of the four due back with the Hansens."

"How does it work?" Hu interrupted.

"What?"

"Piloting as Sentinel and Guide. We were always told it would not work." Hu replied.

Raleigh and Mako exchanged glances, then shrugged in unison.

"Hey, turn on the tv!" One of the techs yelled, skidding into the room. "There's a kaiju attacking Sydney!"

For a moment, Raleigh swore he felt the same icy spray that had hit him after Knifehead tore the conn pod open. He shook it off as the tv was turned on.

"Where are they?" Aleksis grumbled as the kaiju approached the Wall of Life.

Vulcan Specter, Echo Sabre and Striker Eureka were all there, all in Sydney. Yet there was no sign of them as the kaiju—now dubbed Mutavore—began to bash its way through the wall. In a matter of moments that felt like hours, the wall buckled like a sodden sandcastle and it was free to march through the city. Mutavore let out a triumphant roar before it made a beeline for the packed and unevacuated buildings.

The entire room was silent; a sick, sinking feeling that Raleigh could almost sense despite lacking that particular version of empathy. He discreetly took Mako's hand under the table, hoping to help her, ground her. He saw Newt doing the same for a visibly paler Dr. Gottlieb.

"Where are they?" Jin repeated, his voice weaker than Aleksis's had been.

No one knew; no one had any answers.

Raleigh shoved down the thought that made him want to puke; that this kaiju had somehow already destroyed the three jaegers the Sydney Shatterdome housed. Mako's hand tightened on his; she projected a shaky assurance.

The entire room was frozen: where were the jaegers? Was this the future of the human race?

Then Echo raced into view, with Vulcan and Striker not far behind. The sudden cheer that went up echoed around the entire Shatterdome.

"What the hell kept them?" Jin growled. The other pilots exchanged glances, none wanting to admit that they, too, had doubted. The fight afterward was brief and brutal.

That didn't help after all saw the casualty count slowly rising in the corner of the screen.

"What took you so long?" Snarled a reporter at the six pilots as they approached for an interview.

"Y' got yer Prime Minister t' thank fer that." Chuck seethed back, accent even stronger when he was mad.

"He cut the power supply to the Shatterdome because, as he put it—" One of the four unknown pilots began.

"—'the wall will hold, gentlemen. Can't have you mucking it up'." Finished the one Raleigh assumed was his copilot; this one, though, bore a strong resemblance to Moira.

The reporters turned on the formerly smug-looking Prime Minister. The six pilots made their escape in the confusion.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Moira mumbled from the doorway. Mako motioned her over; Raleigh scooted over so she could join them. 

"That is stupid." Sasha stated, eyes still on the tv. Her expression was cold.

"That is politics." Moira agreed. Sasha turned her stare on the tech, then gave her a small nod.

Aleksis frowned. "We should be happy they all survived, yes?"

Raleigh nodded, ignoring the nausea at the thought of the six having perished—not just because the Hansens were Guides, either. Another one—he wasn't sure which—was also a Guide. Mako and Moira both gripped his hands tighter; their comfort was much calmer, much more stable now.

"All the more reason to end this." Hu finally murmured. "Before anyone else is harmed."

"It is late for that now." Jin returned bleakly as the casualty toll on the screen climbed into the thousands.

It shocked Raleigh that his first thought in regards to that was, "Chuck is not going to be happy".

-x-x-x-x-

"So your brother..." Raleigh began.

"One of Echo's pilots, yeah." Moira returned.

Mako shook her head as the Wei Tangs and the Kaidanovskys argued over what music to put on.

"Which?" He pressed.

"He's a Sentinel. No worries, though; he's used to me working with others. So long as I don't deny we're related, he's cool with it."

"...was that meant to be a joke?" Dr. Gottlieb questioned.

"It was. Am not feeling funny at the moment."

Raleigh nudged her; she just handed him a little red candy.

Almost instantly, the triplets were focused on her, which allowed the Kaidanovskys to claim the radio in favor of Ukrainian hard house music. 

She gave each of them one as well, then offered Newt and Dr. Gottlieb some.

Raleigh grumbled but took the candy. "Cherry." He remarked, startled.

"Yep. Lemon for Hu, grape for Jin, watermelon for Cheung."

Dr. Gottlieb looked startled, but pleased. "You are a bit different than the typical Guide, aren't you?"

"I try?" Was the semi-confused sounding reply before she offered the Kaidanovskys some candy as well.

"Where have you been getting this?" Aleksis wanted to know as he enjoyed his root beer flavored one.

"My grandda. He knows I like sweets."

"We would like to speak to his supplier." Sasha stated. 

"...I can give you his email?" Moira mumbled, looking like she'd rather hide behind Raleigh.

"Did you bring the cards?" He asked, as much to divert attention as to hopefully make her more comfortable.

"I did. You wanna play?" She fished them out of her pocket.

Newt and Dr. Gottlieb had to bow out, as they had science to do, but promised to join another time. Moira decided she'd rather watch—since she knew once the three jaegers returned, she'd be working, so she'd relax while she could—which left Mako, Jin, Hu, Cheung, Aleksis, Sasha and Raleigh to play.

"What games d'you guys know?" Raleigh asked.

They responded in Chinese and Russian; Mako smothered her smile at the dismayed look on his face.

Eventually they reached a consensus and played gin rummy. Moira offered a handful of candy for bets; from there, it was on. 

-x-x-x-x-

Twenty hands later, everyone had won at least once. The candy pile was empty, everyone having claimed one each time they won.

"You will be practicing tomorrow, yes?" Aleksis rumbled.

Raleigh nodded.

"I would be liking a match."

"Sure." He murmured. It'd be...interesting.

Sasha smiled slightly. "I will as well."

The triplets grinned. In unison.

Raleigh and Mako exchanged "wait, what?" looks as Moira burst into giggles.

"A pilot's life fer you!"

"No." Raleigh stated flatly as the triplets and Kaidanovskys stared. "Just, no. Leave them out of this."

"What?" Cheung questioned.

"...do you have the movies?" Raleigh found himself asking.

"Nah. I can borrow 'em from Newt, though." With that, she wandered off.

"It is easier to watch than explain." Mako supplied as they waited for her to return.

-x-x-x-x-

"The movie was...interesting." Sasha commented as the seven warmed up in the Kwoon. They hadn't agreed on a time to meet; they just happened to all end up there at the same time. Either that, or the other five knew Raleigh's schedule better than he thought.

"Are there more?" Jin asked.

"Three others. But I don't know if Newt has them." Raleigh responded as he smothered a yawn.

Mako smiled; it was good to see him interacting with others. Especially in a positive manner.

"I am first!" Cheung stated, then tossed a staff to Raleigh.

He caught it, then grinned. This would be something different; it'd been years since he'd sparred against another Ranger. Prior to Knifehead, he and Yancy had switched sparring partners all the time. It was good for developing and refining moves, but it was a bit easier, going up against someone who didn't have access to your mind the the way a drift partner did. Then again, it was also a bit harder because whoever it was used a style that you weren't used to. Either way, Raleigh was hard put to think of anything negative right now, because if there was one thing he always enjoyed, it was a good spar.

-x-x-x-x-

"Not bad."

All, who had been cooling down, turned to find that they'd gathered quite the audience while they sparred. (Eventually, everyone had sparred against everyone else; they'd decided it wouldn't be a fair match if Raleigh had been the only constant competitor.)

The six Sydney pilots, plus assorted techs, were crowded in the doorways. The speaker was Herc and his eyes rested on Raleigh.

Who ignored him, aside from a nod of acknowledgment. He was still irritated over the comments the last time they'd had any sort of interaction; Herc might not have been the one who'd said it, but he knew the man agreed. While he still respected him as a soldier; as a person, well...

"Heya!" Greeted one of the unfamiliar four pilots as the techs streamed out, presumably due to the changing of shifts. "You must be Raleigh." He offered a hand, but did not move too close to him.

Raleigh accepted it; this man looked similar to Moira, which meant he was presumably her brother. And he was also a Sentinel, which explained the distance.

"I'm Chance Johnson."

Raleigh nodded as another man followed the first; he also shook this man's hand when offered.

"Chance Cordus, Guide."

He was, quite frankly, taken aback. Normally—not counting Newt, anyway—Guides were the friendly ones and Sentinels the standoffish. In this case, it was the complete opposite. The Sentinel was relaxed, open and completely okay with Raleigh being close to and actually touching his Guide. The Guide, however, looked rather annoyed and seemed to not want anything to do with him.

"Been a while, Vanya." Greeted Sasha.

Chance—the Sentinel one—ducked his head with a grin. "Yeah, it has. How've you been?"

Raleigh continued his cool down, Mako the closest, while Moira's brother—dammit, why the hell did they have the same first name? This was going to get annoying really fast—made small talk with the Russians. 

Cheung smirked. "You, too, are Sentinel?"

Chance grinned; his Guide sighed.

"Lemme guess. Wanna spar?"

"Hell yeah!" Jin responded; Hu and Guide-Chance exchanged long-suffering looks as everyone else moved out of the way.

"Heard you had a decent test run."

Mako stiffened beside him; he ignored the speaker, well aware that comment was addressed to him by one asshole-Guide.

-x-x-x-x-

"Whew." Chance wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You guys are brutal. I like it!"

His Guide facepalmed as the triplets laughed, taking it as a compliment.

"By the way. For clarity's sake. I go by Chance; the spoilsport over there goes by Cor."

Guide-Chance/Cor flipped him off.

The triplets introduced themselves; Mako chimed in a beat after.

"Newest pilot, huh? Welcome to the club, I guess. We always did need more female representation...not that you're not suitably terrifying, Sasha."

She gave him an icy, predatory smile that had Aleksis chuckling and Raleigh contemplating diving for cover and dragging Mako with him.

"If you start on that, I am locking you out of our room." Cor stated flatly.

"Shutting up now." Chance mimed locking his mouth shut and throwing away the key.

"Pretty sure it's about lunch time." Herc remarked pointedly. The two extremely quiet pilots obligingly scuttled off, leaving Herc, Chuck, Chance, Cor and those who'd been practicing.

"Sorry, mate. Still on Sydney time. So I'll have to pass on food." Chance grinned to accompany his statement, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Cor looked like he was smothering a smirk as he pointedly did not look at Herc.

"We already stopped for lunch. Hours ago." Aleksis added.

"It is late for lunch." Hu chimed in; his siblings shrugged, before one tackled the other into an impromptu wrestling match. Sasha rolled her eyes but moved to stand beside her husband; Aleksis looked down at them, amused. The two pointedly did not crash into them even though they ended up moving in their direction.

Mako glanced to Raleigh; Herc's gaze was now on them, as everyone else had, in their own way, told him to shove off.

"I'm good." He stated. "Mako?" He barely smothered a smirk of his own at Chuck's sudden start.

"I ate the same time as you. Did you think Guides needed to eat more often?"

"Nah. Figured it'd be polite to ask, though."

Herc left, Chuck and Max trailing him.

"Can I ask what the slasher-smile was about?" Raleigh queried as he, Cor, Chance and Mako watched the remaining triplet and the Kaidanovskys get dragged into a five-way hand-to-hand match.

"You're new to being around Guides, so you should be fine. But most Sentinels? They don't greet orders from Guides well. Especially not Guides like the Hansens."

"You just don't like them in combat anymore than you like me there." Cor supplied helpfully from where he leaned against the wall.

"It's different with you; you're in the same jaeger as me. It's easier for me to watch out for you."

"That, and while they certainly excel at kicking ass, they're a bit reckless. Not sloppy, not exactly, but..." Cor added.

Mako nodded tightly.

"I was going to ask about that, actually." Raleigh murmured. "How you did it."

"Fought alongside Guides? It's hell. I know, logically, they can hold their own. Instinctually? Whole 'nother ball game."

Cor nodded. "It's...interesting. Seeing a Sentinel's perspective on things."

Mako's nod was considerably less tight. "It is. Things make more...sense, almost."

Raleigh found himself trading techniques for focusing with Chance as Mako and Cor discussed the ways in which the drift enabled them to better understand their co-pilot. While their discussion did have to occasionally move—the Wei Tangs and the Kaidanovskys had no particular fucks to give if they got too close during their match—it was...fun. Strange, but fun.

"Did we essentially tell Herc to fuck off?" Raleigh eventually asked during a lull in the conversation.

"Essentially." Chance responded with a smirk. "An' after what I've heard, I don't blame you. The two drive me nuts to start with—Guides in combat—but after all that carryin' on? An' Miss Mori bein' the one disciplined?" He shook his head. "Lil' shit needs to grow up. Not that my sister was the best either, what with her prank..."

Raleigh gaped. "How..."

"I keep tabs on my sis. She tells me some things. My informant fills in the gaps."

He found himself glaring; he didn't like the sound of that.

Luckily, Sasha chose that moment to interrupt, as the five-way match had come to an end in a draw.

"We shall get cleaned up then re-gather for the second movie, da?"

It took him a moment to recall what she was talking about, then he nodded. 

"Provided Newt has it, anyway." Mako supplied.

-x-x-x-x-

The small cafeteria was re-purposed into a movie theater for that night's dinner. 

Raleigh knew that if had just been him, Mako and Moira, it would never have worked. But with the combined efforts of the three, plus the Wei Tangs, plus the Kaidanovskys, plus whatever the hell Chance/Cor were referred to...well, it got done. With absolutely no argument.

After all the pilots had claimed seats, others filtered in and claimed their own spots. Then whoever was in control of the DVD player started the movie.

Everyone groaned when the previews rolled; no one cared about Eragon, especially considering how badly they had butchered it. Some of the younger ones in the audience—like Chance and Mako—had to get the story of why during the rest of the previews.

-x-x-x-x-

"At least we are still not the villains." Sasha remarked after most of the techs had filtered out. Aleksis snorted.

"How would Russians be the villains in colonial times...?" Chance blinked, confused.

Mako and Cor looked between the two, expressions confused.

Which was when Newt wandered in, followed by Hermann. And how a discussion/debate of history and American movies that lasted well into the night got started.

-x-x-x-x-

A week or so passed, during which movie nights became a thing. All the pilots came—except Chuck and Herc Hansen—and there were always plenty of techs there too. One night, the Marshal entered the room while everyone was still settling in; it had almost gotten to be standing room only.

"Rangers, techs, K-science."

Silence fell, instantly.

"This is not the time, nor the place for movies." Pentecost stated.

Everyone seemed to deflate slightly; the almost-festive atmosphere disappearing rapidly.

"The time is eight o'clock, the place is the cafeteria." He informed them and suppressed a smile when the enthusiasm and anticipation returned. "Dr. Geiszler—"

"Newt!"

"—has agreed to loan his DVDs for movie night. Techs and K-science, dismissed."

The techs, talking animatedly, dispersed; Newt gave the Marshal one last frown before he followed Hermann out.

"Sir, what's—"

"The morale this seems to have instilled is welcome."

The pilots exchanged glances, slight smiles in place.

"The excluding of Striker's pilots is not."

The smiles quickly faded.

"The stronger the bond, the better you fight. I realize that's thought to only apply to your co-pilot, but it also applies for those you fight **alongside**. I know two of you will defend them, grudgin'ly, because they're Guides, that's not what I want. You all have to be able to work together, as a team—this means no more in-fightin'. If you have problems, take it to the Kwoon. I do not want to hear from medical. Am I clear, Rangers?"

All nodded.

"Dismissed."

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh smothered a yawn as he took the seat next to Mako. Thanks to movie night in the bigger cafeteria, there was plenty of room for everyone. The pilots had set up camp in the middle of the room; the various crews for each jaeger had settled in near their pilots. Everyone else had taken whatever spots were left. 

Sasha and Herc were debating ranged versus melee when it came to fighting the kaiju. Aleksis listened, chiming in every so often. Cheung, Jin and Hu were chatting with Mako; they'd found popcorn somewhere along the line and were sharing with her, at least. Chance and Cor had taken up the spots between Raleigh/Mako and Herc/Chuck, presumably in an attempt to keep things civil.

Raleigh, for his part, had nodded to both in greeting and left it at that. Mako, after a moment, had done the same. That was when the Wei Tangs had corralled her into a conversation, for which Raleigh was thankful.

"So how long have you been trainin', anyway?" Chance prodded. Cor elbowed him; Chance just grinned.

"Pilot-wise or Sentinel-wise?"

"Sentinel. I know you were a pilot before I was able to legally join acad."

"A little under two months."

Both Cor and Chance turned to gape at him. He shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. It had been hard and slow going, the training. And he still kept up with it; Mako and Moira made sure of that, despite how busy both were.

"That's pretty much all I did since I got here about two months ago." He added. 

"With who?" Cor asked; Chance seemed to be trying to recover from the shock still.

"Mako and Moira."

Chance frowned. "I guess that could do it. Working for two months with two Guides would definitely be a solid foundation for training, if nothing else."

"Who's been workin' with what?" Chuck cut in; his manner was less antagonistic than usual.

"A Sentinel's been working with Guides." Cor responded flatly. "So it'd be who with who, not who with what."

The younger Aussie's expression tightened, but he didn't start anything.

"So. Yes. Movie. Which one are we watching?" Chance asked brightly.

Raleigh smothered a smile; it was kinda refreshing to interact with a Sentinel-Guide pair who defied the norms in a way similar to Newt and Dr. Gottlieb. Only with less science and mythology/astronomy involved. 

"I think it's the third Pirates of the Caribbean, but don't quote me on that."

Cor blinked. "The next one after the one we watched last time?"

Chance nodded. "Yeah. ...any chance we could do a re-run of the first at some point?"

"Never seen it?"

Chance nodded. Chuck did as well.

Raleigh resisted the urge to snap that he hadn't been talking to him. "Well, we could ask Newt." He shifted slightly as he sensed, rather than saw, Moira join Mako and the triplets.

Chance poked him. "Don't worry; it's normal even if you aren't bound to 'em. I always know where my sis is, even if we're timezones apart."

He smiled slightly, also glad to have a chance to talk to a Sentinel who seemed to know what was what. Guides—especially Mako and Moira—well, they'd been helpful. But there were some things that they wouldn't know and couldn't be expected to answer.

"Are you two plotting something?"

Mako and Moira jumped, then looked at Cor; their expressions very similar to the Wei Tangs' "innocent" looks.

"Mayhaps. Mayhaps not." Moira replied loftily; Mako was clearly hiding a grin. Cor's eyes narrowed as he considered them.

"Oh great." Chance muttered. "Now the Guides are going to drive us to distraction."

"Gotta problem with Guides?" Chuck snapped before Raleigh could ask what he meant.

"On the whole, no. But if you leave my sister and my bonded alone for two hours, there's havoc. Add in another strong Guide who has Ranger training? I'll be surprised if the Shatterdome is still standing." Chance responded coolly. "That said, why are you talking to us? You made it clear on one of your little interviews that 'Rangers like us' are the reason the jaeger program was defunded."

Cor, Mako and Moira stopped and stared, same as Raleigh. 

"Or." Chance continued. "Were you talking about the other –" Cor quickly put a hand over Chance's mouth, muffling what he'd been about to say.

"Calm down." Cor murmured, forcing his Sentinel to look at him; Chance let out a breath and focused on his Guide, instead of the damned annoying younger one who drove him nuts.

"You okay?" Raleigh asked.

Chance glanced at him, then shook his head. "Y'know, for a Sentinel, you're weird."

He grinned. "I've got these two to thank, I think."

Mako glowered and Moira tossed a candy at him, which caused Chance to laugh and Cor to smirk. Chuck rolled his eyes.

"So. Hansen." He kept his voice light. "Any particular reason you have a bomber jacket with your kills stenciled on?"

Chance and Cor exchanged "wha?" looks; Mako and Moira snickered. 

Chuck turned red but glared at him. "Same reason you did." He returned flatly.

"Because you think you're hot shit and like to strut around and think you're on top of the world?" Raleigh responded, voice dry. 

Chuck turned redder and opened his mouth to snarl a reply.

Raleigh beat him to it. "Because that's why I did it."

The Aussie deflated some as he realized that was also a jab at who Raleigh used to be, not just a remark upon how Chuck was—or at least seemed—now.

"From what I heard, your test went fairly well?" Chance interrupted.

"That would be the second one." Mako supplied.

"The first was closer to Yancy and I's initial test run." Raleigh added with a rueful grin. "Apparently I bring out the worst in my drift partners."

"Drifting in general brings out the worst in people. It is what it is." Cor stated flatly.

Chance blinked and looked to Moira, who shrugged before Cheung poked her for a candy, which she readily handed over. The eldest triplet ignored the scowl on his fellow pilot's face; as did his siblings, who also pestered her for sweets.

"I am going to—"

"Remain calm." Cor cut him off. "We're here to relax and enjoy movie night."

"What're the Pirates of the Caribbean, anyway?" Chuck bit out.

"Wouldn't you—"

Cor covered his Sentinel's mouth again. "That's it, no more talking for you." 

Chance scowled but made no move to resist.

"They're pirates. In the Caribbean. Who do pirate-y things. Like plundering and pillaging and sword fighting. Oh, and there's an evil monkey."

The Aussie looked like he wasn't entirely sure how to react to that statement. Or whether to believe Raleigh.

"S'true." Cor stated.

"Thought you hadn't seen 'em?" Raleigh grumbled.

"Haven't. But that monkey was friends with the dead guy, who probably got killed off for a reason. A.k.a., evil."

Raleigh stared at him as Chuck seemed to be debating edging away.

Cor winked at Raleigh as Chance's face twitched; Raleigh moved back a bit but Chance shook his head slightly.

Chuck opened his mouth to speak again, but the movie started. He closed it and was silent for the rest of the film.

-x-x-x-x-

"...what did I just watch." Cor said as he stared at the blank screen. "What the ever loving fuck did I just watch."

"That had a bit more than you'd expect in a Disney film." Moira commented before she shrugged. 

"Who has the cards?" Raleigh asked, not wanting the night—which had largely been fun, even with Chuck stubbornly trying to butt in—to end.

Mako handed them over; Chance and Cor both pulled out a deck themselves.

"...no. We are not playing war. It is not a thing." Chance grumbled before Cor could even ask.

Raleigh laughed, then smiled when he saw Mako and Moira light up because of it.

"Mind if we join?" Cheung asked; Jin and Hu appeared interested as well.

"Alright." Chance cut in. "Cheung to me, Jin to Cor, Hu to Raleigh. Mako to me, Aleksis to Cor, Sasha to Raleigh." 

There was a pause; Herc raised an eyebrow; Chuck scowled.

Chance glanced at Moira; she shrugged.

"Herc to me, Chuck to Cor, Moira to Raleigh." He added flatly. "An' if anyone starts bein' an ass, they're out. Understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir." Moira responded before anyone could get annoyed.

-x-x-x-x-

Vulcan's pilots joined them later; Raleigh couldn't say when specifically, because he was getting his ass handed to him courtesy of Sasha. 

"Are you some sort of card shark?" He grumbled.

She chuckled, amused; he caught her trading looks with Aleksis.

For a moment, he felt Yancy's absence keenly; that was something they had done quite a bit after they made Ranger. It was a sort of tic, almost; all of them did it, though how often tended to vary between the pairs.

"Ey, no sad times. It's fun time." Moira grumbled as she turned her two over to one of Vulcan's pilots.

"Eloquent!" Chance called; she stuck her tongue out at him.

Raleigh smiled, slightly. Who knew? Perhaps in time he and Mako would pick up that same habit. It wouldn't be the same—it never would, really—but it was something to think on. Something a bit less depressing.

After he went—lost a jack to Sasha, who was smirking in a manner that, if he was being honest, terrified him slightly—he turned his attention to the other games.

Cheung, Chance, Mako, Herc, and the other Vulcan pilot—he really should learn their names, soon—seemed to be doing okay. No one was glowering or angry; if anything, the atmosphere seemed fairly lighthearted.

Jin, Cor, Aleksis and Chuck were a bit of a different story, though. Jin and Aleksis seemed alright but they were more amused than irritated when it came to Chuck in general. Cor, though...he looked like he had half a mind to fling himself across the table and plant his fist in Chuck's face. Chuck kept prodding, kept smirking.

Raleigh sighed, then motioned to Moira.

She grumbled. Then pelted Cor with a candy.

-x-x-x-x-

The next morning dawned way too fucking early, because he actually slept for once. But he'd gone to bed at—as Moira put it—a quarter past fuck-it in the morning, so waking up? Not so much fun.

Chance and Cor appeared at his door; Chance was entirely too chipper, while Cor simply propped himself up against Chance, then went right back to sleep.

Raleigh stared.

The other Sentinel laughed. "He does that, unless we've been called for a drop."

"Ever fallen asleep in breakfast?" He asked, thinking fondly of the number of times Yancy'd managed that.

"More times than I care to mention." Chance replied with a quiet chuckle.

Mako joined them as they walked—well, sleep-walked in Cor's case—to the cafeteria. 

"So you're supposed to shadow us, yeah?" The functional pilot asked.

"Yeah." Raleigh responded as he smothered a yawn, then muffled his snicker when Chance calmly redirected Cor so he didn't walk into a pole.

Mako masked a grin. "Used to this?"

"Daily morning routine, mate." The man supplied with a grin.

-x-x-x-x-

The other pilots trickled in as breakfast wore on.

Raleigh fought the urge to twitch when Chuck took the closest seat to him. Did the little fucker actually think he wanted anything to do with him? After what he'd fucking said? He'd watch his back, when they did whatever the fuck the Marshall had planned, but that didn't require him actually liking the little asshole. Or even getting along. He'd be civil, yeah, because his mama had raised him to be polite—or tried to, anyway. But he was really not in the mood to deal with the abrasive asshole who accused him of sacrificing his brother to the kaiju.

"Woah. Woah. Woah. Too early; the fuck?" Cor muttered blearily as he focused his sleepy gaze on Raleigh.

"Nothing." Raleigh bit out tightly before he cracked his back, then resumed eating. He glanced to the side to find Mako giving Chuck a look that was on par with the kind she'd give a kaiju.

For his part, Hansen didn't seem bothered. He met her gaze calmly, blandly, before he resumed eating.

Mako's eyes narrowed.

Raleigh nudged her with his knee. "Ignore the little shit." He murmured softly.

Chance started laughing, then half choked on his breakfast. Cor, scowling at Raleigh, pounded on his back until he could breathe properly.

"Need I be asking?" Sasha inquired, brow raised.

That just set Chance off again; Cor threw up his hands and muttered darkly as he poked at his breakfast. Mako focused on her food.

Raleigh shrugged. "Depends. Pretty sure you're already aware."

She just smirked; Aleksis shook his head.

Chuck ignored them and tried to start a conversation with one of the triplets.

Aleksis leaned over. "Look, he is not bad kid. Cocky and lets his mouth run away at times, yes. But not bad kid."

Raleigh stiffened; Mako hurriedly sent a wave of soothing at him.

"That little...asshole...said I sacrificed my brother." The blond responded; Cor actually flinched back at the sheer fury pouring off him.

"Y' weren't supposed t' hear that." The Aussie stated flatly.

"So that's supposed to make it better?" Raleigh hissed; Mako actually grabbed him.

"Look. You heard the Marshal, yeah?" Chance interrupted.

Both turned to glower at him.

"Take it to the Kwoon." The other pilot sing-songed, smirking.

Raleigh was more than okay with this. And said so.

"Fine, has-been. Bring it on."

Mako held on stubbornly. "Kwoon, Raleigh. Kwoon."

He nodded jerkily, resisting the urge to go after Chuck here in the middle of the mess hall. Whatever had stopped him before? Was not a problem now.

-x-x-x-x-

"Remember." Mako murmured as he warmed up. "Do not hurt him. Humiliate him if you must, but do not hurt him."

"Definitely humiliate him." Chance muttered. "Kid could use the knockin' down a peg or two."

Cor facepalmed. "This is why you ended up with me, y'know."

"Why? Because you're the only one who could be bothered to keep up with me?" Chance's eyes were gentle as he considered his Guide.

Who smiled, slightly, but looked away.

Raleigh found himself inexplicably jealous. He had two Guides who were good friends, who were training him; one was his copilot. So what if he was unbound?

Mako poked him.

He stared.

She sighed. "Relax. It is normal."

"Yep." Cor nodded.

Chance blinked, looking between the two. "Did I--"

"Yes." His Guide cut in, but his tone was fond.

"Y'gonna flirt all day or y'gonna fight, Becket?" Chuck ground out; his glare was not focused on the blond, but on Mako...and Cor.

_Odd_. Raleigh thought before he snagged a staff and engaged the little shit.

-x-x-x-x-

He didn't really recall his own words to Mako—it's not a fight, it's a dialog—which might have been why he ended up handing Chuck's ass to him. Admittedly—and he fucking hated to do so—the redhead had put up a decent fight. He knew why the jackass got called "the finest" when it came to those qualified to judge such things.

But all the training in the world couldn't prepare him for a Sentinel who was quite alright with handing his ass to him and landing an even more damaging blow to that ego of his.

"...oh-kay. We don't need to get medical, right?" Chance broke the stunned silence.

"Fuck you." Chuck spat out as he got to his feet; both body and pride were bruised.

"Nope, keep your dick to yourself." Cor responded in a light tone; his eyes, however, held more than a hint of "come anywhere near my Sentinel and **_they will never fucking find your body_** ".

Mako took a step away from Chance, who was closest to her. Cor glanced to her, then toned down the "I will smile as I remove your entrails" vibe he was emitting.

"We done here?" Chuck bit out.

Raleigh returned his attention to him. "I don't know." He responded. "You gonna take back what you said anytime soon?"

The redhead's jaw clenched. "No."

Mako closed her eyes and took a breath so she would have enough semblance of calm if she needed to stop Raleigh.

"Y'call that a win?" He continued. "I call that pathetic. If y' want me t' take back what I said, you're gonna have to do better'n that."

Raleigh took great care not to snap the staff in his hands. "Same time tomorrow then, Hansen." He hissed.

Chuck smirked. "Don't run off now, Raaahleigh."

Mako, Chance and Cor all had to grab him so he didn't launch himself at the smug little fucker.

-x-x-x-x-

Mako poked disinterestedly at her food.

"You okay?" Raleigh asked; he hadn't stopped apologizing for losing his temper earlier. While no one had ended up getting hurt, it had taken all three to retrain him until he calmed down.

"Please do not be angry." She began, then hesitated.

"Why?" He asked, nonplussed.

"Chuck's not normally like that." Cor cut in as he and Chance joined them.

His Sentinel nodded. "Kid _is_ a lil' shit, no arguments there. But he's not...that bad."

Cor nodded. "He is also not usually quite so incapable of apologizing."

Mako nodded. "I know you are angry. You have every right to be. But...this is..."

"Not normal Hansen behavior." Cor and Chance summed up in stereo.

Raleigh sighed. "Well, whatever I did, I'm not sorry."

"He started it. Unless you do something worth apologizing for, he's the only one need worry about that." Chance stated, his accent sliding to something a bit closer to his sister's. Cor bumped knees with him and offered him a look.

The blond watched them and wished he Yancy was still alive. Or at least that he had found his Guide. It would make being around so many people who were so obviously in tune with the other less of a trial. 

-x-x-x-x-

Their next morning beat-down had a lot less of an audience.

Still didn't stop him from handing Chuck's ass to him again.

"Well?" He asked, one end of his staff resting lightly against the dimple at the base of the Aussie's throat.

For a moment, Chuck projected; Raleigh staggered as a complicated tangle of emotions slammed into him.

By the time he sorted himself out, the redhead had already disappeared.

He guessed that meant it was time for round three tomorrow morning.

-x-x-x-x-

The next week and a half continued the same. He'd show up, hand Hansen his ass, then try to get him to take it back. Hansen would project, he'd stumble, Hansen would escape.

By the end of the twelfth match, Raleigh wasn't angry anymore. He was just...tired. Resigned.

He knew by now—he'd asked, Mako had confirmed—that Chuck's projection wasn't intentional. It was a response to his question.

And the fact that it elicited such a response meant that the redhead was most likely panicking.

He sighed quietly. Now that he'd had a chance to work his frustrations out, he was a lot less easily baited in general, let alone by Chuck. Who'd taken to snarking at him, though he never once mentioned Yancy again.

"What the fuck is his problem?" He asked Mako, Cor, Chance and Moira—who'd finally gotten a spare moment between jaeger repairs and was thus able to join them—over lunch the one day.

"Eh?" Moira mumbled; her head rested on her arm, which was on the table. She seemed to be more likely to scald herself with her soup than eat it.

"Chuck." Raleigh growled.

"Oh. Him. Still pullin' pigtails?" She asked, then yawned.

"What." Chance snapped.

"S'all I could think of. Y'lot said he wasnae normally this much o' an arse. So he's doin' it coz he wants Rahleigh's 'tention."

"You are punch-drunk." Cor informed her.

"Nae." She grumbled. "Makes sense."

"And how do you figure that?" Mako asked, significantly less hostile than the other two.

Her response was a quiet snore.

Raleigh frowned. "Would that make more sense, given what you three know of him?"

"...well." Chance muttered. "He _is_ awkward enough to do that. But I can't figure why he'd be desperate enough for your 'tention' to do it." 

Mako and Cor nodded.

"She's never gonna live this down, is she?" Cor asked.

Chance smiled. "Nope~!"

-x-x-x-x-

The next session ended the way all prior had: Raleigh and Chuck sparred, eventually Chuck got worn out, Raleigh did not, Raleigh triumphed, Chuck had yet another intimate encounter with the mat. 

Only this time Herc was watching.

And Chuck? Was as red as his hair when he noticed.

Raleigh rolled his eyes. "You're a Guide, Hansen. You're good—really good—but you aren't a match for me."

Herc glared.

Chuck's venomous response was, "Mori beat you; had you flat on your back."

Raleigh had honestly thought he was calmer, he was able to deal with the asshole Aussie.

Raleigh was wrong.

His expression went from calm to glacial. "Mako doesn't try to rely on brute strength when faced with someone stronger than her. Mako is not a stubborn asshole who won't admit they're beaten and have been for a week and a half now. Mako is also the only Guide, aside from Cor, who I'd agree is combat-worthy _as a Sentinel_."

The younger redhead looked like Raleigh had just told him Max was dead.

Raleigh frowned but lost the chance to reply when Chuck got up and literally ran out. When he glanced at where Herc was, all he got was a look that said the older man was not only disgusted but disappointed before he, too, turned and left; apparently so disgusted he didn't even want to waste words on him, even if they were insults.

"Fuck you both too." Raleigh growled to the empty room before he put both staves back.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh sat stiffly at the lunch table; Mako let him stew. Cor took one look at him and sat on the other side of Chance. Moira sighed and motioned the Kaidanovskys and the triplets over.

"Hansen still being a little shit?" Cheung asked as the five claimed seats.

"You have no idea." The blond retorted flatly, though he was much calmer than he had been earlier. And he was also feeling guilty, if only the slightest bit. Hansen had been a complete and utter ass the entire time he'd been here, the entire time he'd known the Aussie. Exempting the small handful of times he'd tried to make conversation after he'd said outright that Raleigh had **sacrificed his fucking brother**. No apology, no acknowledgment beyond "you weren't supposed to hear that". So he'd resolved to ignore the little fucker. And then he'd started shit again. So why the fuck should he feel guilty and be unable to get the look on his face before he ran off out of his head?

"So. Idea." Chance cut in abruptly.

"So. Tell us." Moira and Cor chorused, then smirked and dodged the straw wrappers flung in their direction.

"To practice. Why not have a team spar? Mako and Raleigh versus Cor and me. And while we do that, you five can have a match. Then we can switch off; give us practice against opponents who aren't Sentinel or Guide."

Raleigh paused, then nodded. "Sounds better than the daily morning beat down."

Aleksis frowned. "Hansen still has not apologized?"

"He refuses to. And looks surprised when I hand him his ass. As usual." At the looks that prompted, Raleigh scowled. "Look, I get you all seem to think he's actually a decent person. And I'm sorry but I'm not agreeing. Actually, I'm not sorry. He's been nothing but an ass, hasn't apologized for it and continues to be one."

"He's not—"

"Not normally like that. Yeah. With you guys, maybe. With me? I'm dog shit on his shoe."

"I'm not sayin' what he's doin' is right. But you also ignored the fuck outta him 'til he started bein' a lil shit again." Moira supplied.

"And that means **what** , exactly?" Raleigh growled.

"He wants your 'tentions!" Chance interrupted and snickered, then yelped when Moira swatted his hand with her spoon. "Ow!"

"Essentially...yeah, that."

"Perhaps he is taking a liking to you?" Sasha offered.

"Ooooor not." Cor cut in at the absolute horror on Raleigh's face. "We don't know him that well; we could be wrong. We probably are wrong."

Hu watched Chuck scuttle out of the room after hearing Sasha's comment. "I am thinking not."

Raleigh just groaned and resisted the urge to slam his head down on the table.

-x-x-x-x-

It was in the middle of the planned series of matches that the kaiju alarm blared. The pilots all put their staves down and raced to suit up.

Raleigh glanced at Chuck, who was pale, jaw set as he let the divesuit techs do their job.

"Be careful, Hansen." He stated before leaving the room, not wanting to see whatever expression that would provoke.

"There's two of 'em this time, guys. Codenames: Otachi and Leatherback." Tendo supplied over the comms as Mako joined him.

"Striker, stay back; do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Cherno, you're two miles beyond the Miracle Mile. Crimson, with them. Gipsy and Echo, remain between the enemy and Striker. Vulcan, you're on point. Do not let them reach the city." Pentecost ordered as the helicopters flew the jaegers to the drop area.

-x-x-x-x-

At first, the fight went well. Leatherback was easily held back by the combined force of Cherno and Crimson; Otachi had yet to surface, though they knew it was lurking.

The tide turned when Otachi popped out of the water to spray acid on Crimson, who lost the use of one of its arms from the attack. Echo didn't hesitate to join the battle and lured Otachi away from Crimson while the triplets got their bearings; they almost went out of sync. 

Back at LOCCENT, Tendo swore; Hu's vitals were all over the place, even though it was Cheung's arm that had been taken out.

Cherno was unable to assist Echo, who could do little more than dodge the constant sprays of acid, unable to even strike back. Vulcan's pilots hesitated; they, Gipsy and Striker were the only ones that stood directly between the city and the kaiju. If they moved, that would leave Gipsy and Striker as the only ones still where they were commanded to be; it would also mean that Striker had that higher of a chance to be involved in combat. 

Raleigh and Mako wavered until Leatherback's spiked tail plunged into Cherno's back. Both knew that another ten feet to the right and the kaiju would have most likely speared one of the pilots. They joined the fray, slamming a fist into the monster's face and causing it to go slightly off balance.

Leatherback roared and released a burst of what appeared to be electricity.

"An EMP?" Mako hissed, horrified; Striker, Crimson, Echo and Vulcan were now dead in the water; all the comms were down. 

"There!" Raleigh growled and both targeted it, ripped it straight off the kaiju. Cherno took over, then pointed them towards Otachi.

They turned in time to see Echo sink beneath the waves; horrified, but without time to acknowledge it, Mako and Raleigh forced themselves to chase after Otachi, who was making a beeline for Striker. 

They managed to get the acid-spraying menace away from Striker, but it headed for the city instead. They paused for a moment to pick up some shipping crates before they continued to chase the fucker.

One almost-acid spray, five shipping containers, a flight both pilots could have done without, and a sword-slice later, Otachi was down. Unfortunately, so were quite a few buildings now. Both ignored them and headed back out to make sure Leatherback was down; they returned to find Cherno fishing an unharmed Echo out of the sea. Otachi had apparently decided it to be no threat and simply knocked it over, no acid involved.

That was when the comms came back on; one of the pilots was screaming.

"Hu." Mako murmured, shocked.

Raleigh paused, then directed them toward Crimson. "Sentinel?"

"Sentinel." Mako confirmed as both disengaged and made for Crimson's conn pod.

-x-x-x-x-

An extremely drawn and pale Hu lay on the bed in the infirmary; Mako sat on the bed with him, a steady, soothing, grounding presence. 

"Congrats." Raleigh muttered wryly from his own infirmary bed.

Cheung and Jin turned, eyes blazing; Mako winced.

"You're the second Sentinel to come online during a fight." The blond continued.

"The second?" Hu rasped and accepted the water Mako offered him.

"Raleigh was the first." His Guide informed him as she put the water back on the side table.

Jin and Cheung deflated, blanching; they'd felt the sheer agony of Hu's suddenly-enhanced senses as though it was their own. The idea that they'd feel that, only coupled with the fact that their brother had just been ripped from the conn pod before their very eyes...

Hu shuddered and reached for Mako, who pulled him into a physical and empathic embrace.

Raleigh had to look away. As glad as he was for Mako—despite how things had happened—the sight only made him yearn for his own Guide all the more. Movement caused him to look up; Cor and Chance had plopped on the foot of his bed; they held up cards.

"What say we let the lady and her Sentinel bond for a bit?" Cor suggested, raising an eyebrow at the two non-Sentinel triplets.

They paused, looked to Hu, then nodded reluctantly. They closed the curtain around their brother's bed and joined the other three on Raleigh's bed; the Kaidanovskys joined them moments later, dragging another two beds with them so all could sit comfortably.

Cor plopped himself between Chance and Raleigh, who was grateful but shot a questioning look at Chance.

"S'fine." The other Sentinel murmured. "I know you don't wanna run off with my Guide."

He cracked a small smile and nodded slightly before they started a game of crazy eights. The original plan had been to play Egyptian War, but that had been vetoed by both Sentinels, neither of whom was sure they were in complete control of their strength at the moment.

After several moments of gameplay, both Hansens joined them; Raleigh stiffened and the rest of the group shifted closer, slightly.

"If you two are here to unwind, join us. If you're gonna start any more shit, get the fuck out." Chance stated flatly.

"It is early enough. We can re-deal." Aleksis supplied as he considered the two Aussie rangers.

Vulcan's crew had ended up with pretty bad electrical burns due to a patch of faulty wiring in their jaeger. All told, they were down two jaegers, as Hu would be in no fit state to pilot; both Vulcan and its pilots were too badly damaged to even think about sending back in the field. Thankfully, the others had only sustained minor injuries, although Gipsy's techs were going spare over some of the damage done.

The Hansens were no exception to that; Herc had a cut over his eyebrow that had needed stitches, while Chuck had a few small first degree burns that had been treated easily.

Herc took a seat between Aleksis and Jin; Chuck stood for another few beats, then took the spot between Raleigh and Cheung. The blond restrained himself from glaring, barely, and re-dealt the cards; Cor helpfully supplied another pack of cards, as crazy eights with nine people would not work well with just one deck.

"What is it with you Rowans and card decks, anyway?" Raleigh grumbled.

Chance grinned. "Mum an' da used to take us on long car trips. We got used to carrying cards around all the time because you never knew when they'd suddenly be like 'we're goin' to look at the autumn leaves, lets go kids'!"

Cor glowered. "His last name is Johnson. Not Rowan."

"I'm a Rowan, as you well know. I just swapped my middle and last names so grandda wouldn't keep having a fit about mum changing her name when she married." Chance retorted as Raleigh dealt.

Cor's glower only intensified as he considered his Sentinel.

Chuck was strangely silent and continued to be so; he was also a bit closer to Raleigh than was comfortable for the blond, who was resisting the urge to scoot closer to Cor. The only reasons he hadn't already done so were because he didn't want to risk setting Chance off and because Cor looked like he had half a mind to shove Chance off the bed just for being so calm and relaxed. Raleigh had no desire to get that anger directed at him, no thank you. 

So he held still and dealt with it, though he all but lashed out when Chuck's knee brushed against his.

-x-x-x-x-

"I am sorry." Hu said to Mako.

"Nothing to be sorry for." She returned. "You're my Sentinel, you have just come online...the idea of me being away from you must be unsettling."

He nodded slightly, his hold on her tightening a fraction. She soothed him, but remained relaxed in his arms, directing a small smile up at him. Hu nuzzled her, then jerked back, stuttering an apology.

"Relax." Mako murmured. "It is normal, for Sentinels to show their Guides affection this way. Many do not in public, but in private?"

The newly come online Sentinel nodded, then focused when his Guide slowly walked him through dialing down his senses again.

"We cannot bond." He managed out thickly.

"What?"

"Not until this is over. I can't..." Hu took a shaky breath. "I can't pilot. Not like this." He shivered. "If we bonded and you went out in Gipsy..."

Mako hugged him and rested her forehead against his. "What will you do?"

"Be sedated."

She winced but gave a small nod. They had little other option at this point.

-x-x-x-x-

"Rangers." 

The nine on the three beds playing cards looked up from their game; it had begun almost three days ago, paused only for bathroom breaks, sleep, clothing-changes and showers. All nine had been commanded to remain in medical, as the med techs were still wary of the EMP having effects that might not become apparent until later.

"Operation Pitfall is a go; the repairs are finished."

The card game was abandoned readily enough; eight of them left, though Chuck glanced back at Raleigh for the briefest of moments.

The blond gave him a nod of acknowledgment; Chuck nodded back before he followed his father.

The Marshal raised an eyebrow, but was spared the chance to ask when Mako appeared from behind the curtain that concealed Hu's bed. The nurses had slipped in and sedated him, as they had been warned prior to the Marshal's arrival.

She nodded to her sensei, then walked with Raleigh to the divesuit room; in step, in sync. They would finish this. Together.

-x-x-x-x-

Tendo told them what Newt and Hermann had done over the comms as they suited up.

Raleigh felt the respect he had for the two rise; he wasn't sure he would have had the guts to drift with a kaiju once, let alone twice. The information Newt had managed to gather made their job simpler and harder, all at once.

All the pilots were headed to their jaegers when the alarm went off.

"The two that came out, they're Cat IVs. But they're just sitting there, circling the breach." Tendo informed them. "Codenames are Scunner and Raiju."

The Marshal entered LOCCENT. "Cherno and Gipsy in the front; Echo behind them. Striker, stick close but let them guard you. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary."

"Sir." All acknowledged over the comms. 

-x-x-x-x-

Newt and Hermann, who had just rushed into LOCCENT, hurriedly flagged the Marshal over. Rapidly, in stereo, they explained that the bomb wouldn't be enough. They'd need to detonate at least three of the jaegers alongside it to force the breach closed.

Pentecost scowled, but nodded and reclaimed the microphone to inform the pilots.

-x-x-x-x-

_Fun_. Raleigh thought flatly as he and Mako guided Gipsy along, right beside Cherno.

_We all need to enter the portal, then_. Mako supplied with what sounded like a mental sigh.

_Which lowers the chance we'll all return alive_. Raleigh responded sourly. There were four Guides out here, counting Mako; while he'd meant what he said, about thinking both Mako and Cor were combat-worthy, even though they were Guides...the idea of losing them was no easier than the idea of losing the Hansens. Even if both of them were assholes.

_We will do this_. She stated.

_We will. And everyone's coming home this time too_.

His own fierce determination to end this with all alive was echoed back at him.

The fight with Raiju and Scunner was strangely anticlimactic, after the fight with Otachi and Leatherback. Raiju was aggressive and dangerous, whereas Scunner just seemed content to flit around and pop out at them, but not attack. It was unnerving but not particularly troublesome; more like a game of hide and seek with a dangerous creature that had not gotten the 'dangerous' part of the memo.

As Cherno and Gipsy closed in on Raiju, Scunner popped out at Striker; Chuck's startled yelp drew the attention of both Chance and Raleigh, which gave Raiju the opening it needed to rip the arm Raleigh controlled off.

He swore as pain raced from the circuits to his flesh, then helped Mako turn and stab the fucker; Cherno broke its neck as they sliced it open. 

_One down_. Mako supplied as they turned to try to find Scunner.

"Activity in the breach! Another one's coming, brace yourselves!" Tendo called across the comms.

_Fuck_. Raleigh and Mako both dodged, just in time. 

The new kaiju's claws were right where their conn pod had just been. 

"What category is that one?" Chance asked as he and Cor managed to get a hold of Scunner; the creature didn't appreciate the headlock much.

"Cat V!" Tendo responded. "It's a big bitch!"

The Marshal cleared his throat. "Codename: Slattern."

"Still a derogatory term." Chance muttered flatly as he and Cor continued to grapple with Scunner.

"You are having idea, Becket boy?"

"Aside from empty the clip?" Raleigh responded as he and Mako did just that. The newly dubbed Slattern's roar of pain echoed.

"I think you just made it angry." Cor called; Striker had helped them to put an end to Scunner.

-x-x-x-x-

The head Guide looked up from his files as Moira brought some more in. "Ah, yes. That troubling flare up of Ranger Becket's..." He sifted through papers on his desk. "Here you are."

"Thank you, sir." 

He smiled, then waved her on.

She left, reading the article as she walked back towards in the infirmary; she was the Guide who was supposed to take over for the one who was helping keep Hu calm. Sedatives were good but tended to work better in conjunction with a Guide's soothing presence, even if it was not the Guide a Sentinel wanted.

As she made her way through the article, she paused. Stopped. Reread a few paragraphs. Then continued walking, swearing in every language she knew. As she neared the infirmary, she forced herself to calm down; took a deep, slow breath.

_Well, nothing for it now. I just have to hope they both come back so this can be sorted out properly. In the mean time...at least I can do something for Hu_.

-x-x-x-x-

Slattern was fast; faster than even Scunner had been. It was also just as aggressive, if not moreso, than Raiju had been. The two combined were an unholy combination that was proving difficult for the four jaegers to get close to, let alone land a hit on.

Raleigh smothered a snarl of frustration and turned, as did Mako; the two managed to catch the side of the kaiju's face with their blade.

Cor or Chance whooped, then lunged in with both their blades—similar to Striker's sting blades—out; they managed to cripple one of its arms before they were sent flying. Then again, one of the plusses of fighting underwater was an easier recovery; the drag of the water on the jaeger meant they didn't fly as far and were better able to control how they landed.

The Hansens, frustrated, launched some of their anti-kaiju missiles at Slattern; two hit, the rest went wide. Cherno had been positioned just right so that when Slattern moved to dodge the missiles, it swam right into their waiting fists. The kaiju turned to flee only to impale itself on Gipsy's sword; Echo rejoined the battle, hacking away at Slattern's three tails.

The kaiju managed to untangle itself and flee closer to the breach; it was missing two tails and one of its arms; the entire left side of its face was a blue-bloody mess. It snarled defiantly at them; Gipsy and Echo re-engaged; it tried to flee again and ran straight into Cherno, as the pilots had planned.

Half dead, the kaiju managed to stumble away from its confrontation with Cherno only to walk right into the path of more AKMs from Striker. The beast collapsed, unmoving; Echo switched out one of their blades for their plasma cannon and emptied the clip into it, just to make sure.

"Striker and Gipsy to Slattern; Echo, get Scunner. Cherno, stay here. Do not engage." Pentecost commanded.

All obeyed; Cherno stood at the edge while the others jumped into the breach, dragging the kaiju corpses with them.

-x-x-x-x-

The Hansens' pods were the first to emerge from the breach, quickly followed by Cor and Chance's. Mako's was a moment behind them.

_Where is Becket boy?_ Sasha wondered.

Aleksis reminded her that there was still a kaiju left.

"Cherno, what are you—"

Cherno and its pilots vanished into the breach, along with Raiju's corpse.

-x-x-x-x-

"What? What's going on?!" Chance yelled over the comms as all of the pilots extracted themselves from their pods.

"Cherno's gone into the breach after Raleigh." Tendo responded sharply.

"What?" Cor managed out as Mako and Chuck froze; Herc just swore.

Cherno chose that moment to surface, smoking; in its arms was a battered escape pod.

Chuck flung himself into the water and towards it; Mako followed not a moment later.

Thankfully, by the time the two had pried the pod open, the helicopters had arrived and the field medics with them.

Cherno was picked up by a handful of the helis; the rest began to scoop the pilots from the water, though all insisted Raleigh be the first to go. Chuck went with him, glaring at Mako when she tried to join.

Chance and Cor exchanged glances, then, as one, looked at Herc, who gave them a bland look. Mako scowled at the older Ranger; it was a look that promised there would be an explanation sometime later.

-x-x-x-x-

"So what happened?" Chance asked.

All the pilots, save Raleigh, had been treated and given a clean bill of health. They were still expected to remain in medical for the next two or three days, however.

"They began to detonate after we grabbed his escape pod. It had been caught by a kaiju. Not a fully formed one, but..." Sasha trailed off. 

Aleksis took over. "We were keeping it close, to try to protect it. Our shielding is strongest against nuclear; has to be, with Mark I. We barely made it through before it collapsed."

"Which is why he's still alive." Cor summed up. Chance shivered and joined him on his bed; Cor readily accepted the physical reassurance from his Sentinel.

"Either way." Jin murmured from where he sat, with Cheung asleep on his shoulder. "Is over."

Silence reigned after that; none were too sure what to say, let alone how to react. Most had been fighting for so long...or had grown up with the war. What were pilots supposed to do now that there was peace?

"Hi guys!" Slurred Newt as he was helped in by Hermann.

"Christ." Chance groaned before he wobbled out of bed to help the Guide with his Sentinel. Cor, muttering darkly, followed.

A doctor quickly took over from there; Hermann hovered, unsure, before the other two coaxed him into joining them until he was permitted to rejoin his Sentinel.

"You alright?" Cor asked.

"I am fine; it is Newt who bore the brunt of it." Hermann murmured softly. His eyes darkened. "He should not have done it. Not alone."

"Dr. Gottlieb." Chance said. "It's not...it's not that he doesn't respect you. Or think you capable. It's a Sentinel thing."

The scientist glowered. "Newt—"

"Does not normally behave like a Sentinel. At all. That's true. But he still is one. Still has the same instincts, the same motives...the same drive to protect his Guide that all other Sentinels have. It's not a matter of respect. It's a matter of protection." Cor added. "Do you honestly think if there had been another way Chance would have been alright with me out there in Echo?"

Hermann looked to Chance. 

"I know damned well what he's capable of. He regularly hands me my ass in the Kwoon." Chance murmured, eyes bleak. "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with it, with him out there in danger. It's just...something I had to deal with."

"Perhaps we should try a card game, da?" Sasha suggested.

Jin nodded, so the others clustered around him, though they kept it down in deference to Cheung being asleep. Still, the card game gave them something neutral, something normal to focus on. And that was what they all needed right now.

-x-x-x-x-

It was still hours before Mako had been able to return to Hu's side; he greeted her with a small but worn smile.

"Problem next door?" He asked softly.

She nodded before she crawled onto the bed with him and he finally relaxed for the first time since she had left his side. His Guide was here; she was safe; she was alive. They all were.

Mako relaxed as well, basking in the warm-content-safe feelings coming from her Sentinel.

Hu smiled sleepily at her; the sedatives were still not completely out of his system.

"Sleeping would not be a bad thing?"

"Not at all." She replied softly and cuddled closer; Hu nuzzled her before he was out again. Moments later, she followed him to dreamland. The two were warm and safe, sitting in a grassy field on a sunny, cloudless day. Silence lingered for a moment before the two started to talk.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh felt something warm and heavy on his chest; whatever it was, it was breathing on his neck and holding him in place. He was going to assume it was a person, based on the arms, but...his last memory was of his pod being snagged by a partially formed kaiju. He wasn't really in a hurry to open his eyes to find he was in a lab, about to be dissected.

Comfort, coupled with exasperation and amusement, skittered across his awareness. He recognized those emotions; recognized who was broadcasting them.

Blue eyes opened.

He was in the med wing; Chuck fucking Hansen was using him as a pillow. He was pretty sore, all told, but the Aussie was not putting any sort of pressure on any of the sore spots; was in fact twisted around so he was not on any of them.

"You two can't do anythin' halfway, can ya?"

His gaze traveled from the slumbering, bruised Chuck to a wan Moira, who was sitting in a chair by the side of the two beds that had been pushed together to accommodate him and his cling-on.

"What do you...?" He croaked softly, then slowly sipped from the water she offered.

She ignored the question, walked him through dialing down his senses. He did so without argument, but balked when she asked him to use his sense of smell.

"Remember your flare up?"

He nodded.

"Good."

He glared but reluctantly turned his mental dial "up"...and was suddenly surrounded by the same scent from before, the one that made him think of home and warmth and family and safety. He knew, without asking, that the source of the scent was Chuck.

His mouth was dry, despite the water he'd just drank. "It's him." He managed out through his shock. "My Guide. He's my Guide."

She nodded. "He...when Cherno brought you up, he beat Mako to you. To your pod. Wouldn't leave your side, even in the chopper. He had to be sedated so the doctors could get at you."

Raleigh looked down at him; exhaustion was in every line of the younger man's form.

"Everyone else?"

"Fine. You were the worst banged up out of everyone, save Vulcan's pilots. Mako's with Hu, though she did help us get Chuck sedated. Herc is most likely off terrorizing someone. Or being informed he's now officially the second-in-command. Dunno which. The Kaidanovskys, my brother, Cor, Dr. Gottlieb and Jin were, at last check, playing cards. Cheung's asleep. Newt's getting checked out by the techs, still."

"Did..." He broke off, unsure if he wanted to ask. He wanted to know. He did. But, after everything...if they'd failed...

"No no no no." Moira murmured rapidly. "Calm down or you'll wake him. We're fine, we survived, bad guys vaporized."

He relaxed, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him. The world was saved, it was over. And he'd found his Guide, even if they were a pissy, prickly Australian with daddy and possibly abandonment issues.

She smiled slightly. "You should probably rest some more." She rose to leave, then paused. "One thing, though."

"Mmm?"

"Try to make it work with him, yeah? I know you two don't get on. And it's not my place. But..." She paused, sighing softly. "My Sentinel is dead. Has been for a while. As anyone like me'd be able to tell you: it's...difficult. You have your shot; you have your Guide. Don't throw either away."

Shock paralyzed him; before he could respond, she was gone.

And she'd left him with more than what the fuck he'd do with himself now to contemplate.

-x-x-x-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Sasha calling him "Vanya".  
> His name is Chance **John** son. In Russian, the equivalent of John is Ivan. And the diminutive of Ivan is Vanya.
> 
> -No clue if Eragon preview is on Pirates: Dead Man's Chest.  
> Don't really care, either. Because I saw that it came out in 2006 and could not resist, because I hate that effing movie with a passion.
> 
> -As someone pointed out in [this post](http://strikereurekatech.tumblr.com/post/62340053511/getinthefuckingjaeger-snack-size-it-varys):  
> Yancy and Raleigh. In bomber jackets. With their kill-count stenciled on.  
> Hm. Looks a bit familiar, aye?
> 
> -Slattern. Ah yes.  
> The theatre was fun. I was like "uh...*stares blankly at screen* _DID THEY JUST CALL THE KAIJU A WHORE?!_ "  
> Slattern is essentially an olde tyme word for whore. So yeah there's that.
> 
> -Since writing is...writing-y...I shall post the [Chuck Hansen Club Theme Song](http://strikereurekatech.tumblr.com/post/63508202535/rangerhansen-the-we-were-never-meant-to-care).


	2. Yeah, sorry, plot crept back in (FML)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~Did I say slow burn? I MEANT NEVER DX~~  
>   
> 
> Raleigh and Chuck continue to be idiots; Mako and Hu have their shit together yo; Herc fucks up; Pentecost knows ALL and don't you forget it; the head Guide knows EVERYTHING ELSE and wants to be free of these idiots before all of his hair goes grey; Chance and Cor are ridiculous and snarky and Chuck wants to befriend them but also punch them; Newt is in danger. Sorta; Hermann is NOT HAPPY; Vanessa appears; Cheung and Jin are conflicted; Sasha and Aleksis are plotting. Or were, at least; Moira may or may not be plotting to lock Raleigh and Chuck in a room and refuse to let them out until they grow up, man up and TALK; and another OC who may or may not be a good guy shows up; MOAR INFO about past happenings is revealed and Raleigh is very much a shaken puppy. ENJOY. (Or not. Your choice and all.)
> 
> UPDATE: HEY LOOK EDITING.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 38 pages in two days. Never-a-fucking-gain.
> 
> If anyone needs me, I will be making a chart to keep track of who all is doing what.
> 
> In other news, Raleigh and Chuck are quickly becoming my least favorite characters. Slow burn I am okay with. Wanting to light each other on fire, I am not.
> 
> Abuse of italics, unbeta'd, typos are there somewhere.
> 
> Edited. A bit. Things changed. Enjoy.

 -x-x-x-x-

When Raleigh woke again, it was to the quietest of whimpers escaping Chuck. The Aussie shifted restlessly, presumably caught in a nightmare. The blond shifted Chuck so his head was tucked under Raleigh's chin; he then carefully slipped his arms around him, mindful of both of their IVs. Almost instantly the Guide settled, though he did cuddle closer.

Raleigh absently moved his head so he could nuzzle Chuck, then froze.

This was the same man who'd told him he sacrificed his brother. Who refused to take it back. Refused to apologize. Had gone out of his way to be as much of a prick to him as possible.

He turned his head away. But he didn't push the little asshole off, either.

...he guessed they'd have to talk, once both were awake and coherent. Then...then he'd see. What, he wasn't sure yet, but...maybe there was more to the angry, snarly redhead than he'd seen. Everyone else had seemed to think so...

-x-x-x-x-

"Nnn?"

The softest of questioning noises woke him.

A bleary-eyed Chuck looked up at him, then looked around before he put his head back down. "Mus' be dreamin'..." Came the quiet mumble. "No way this'd happen otherwise."

"Why not?" Raleigh asked, tone calm.

The reaction was immediate; the redhead jumped and moved back as though scalded.

"The fuck d'you mean why not, Becket?" A flush bloomed across his face, though Raleigh wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or anger.

As he surveyed the Aussie's expression and body language, he decided it was a little of both.

"You tell me, Hansen. You're the one who made that remark about my brother, then refused to take it back." The blond responded coolly and refused to admit, even to himself, that Chuck moving away bothered him.

The redhead eyed him for a moment, then deflated slightly. "Y'ignored me." He admitted through gritted teeth.

"The fuck?" Raleigh responded. "So that gives you the right to—"

"You're my Sentinel!" Chuck snapped. "Where d'you get off ignorin' me?!"

"I only found out yesterday." The blond gritted out.

Had Raleigh been in a better mood, the sight of Chuck's absolutely stunned face would have made him laugh 'til he cried.

"...what?" Came the faint response.

"I. Only. Found. Out. Yesterday."

"How?"

The stunned, almost lost look was still there; the blond forced himself to calm down.

"Look. Comin' online..." He stopped, trying to find the words. "I don't use my senses often, alright? I spent five years unable to control 'em and now that I can...they...stay at normal levels. Normal human levels."

"So you didn't..."

"I caught your scent once. I was on suppressants, had just got here and had no fucking clue what it meant." Raleigh admitted stiffly.

Chuck kept staring, torn between shock and another emotion Raleigh refused to name.

"I ignored you because you were being a prick, not because I knew you were my Guide and decided I didn't want you."

The end of his sentence caused the Guide to flinch; he automatically reached out, trying to comfort. Chuck accepted the touch and met his eyes, expression unguarded.

"You..." He managed out weakly. "You just. You completely ignored me. Walked around with Mako and the tech and...I didn't exist."

"They were the ones who trained me." Raleigh responded. It explained a lot, now. Why he'd been such an ass. Didn't excuse it, especially not the comment about Yancy, but... For now, he was willing to go along with his instincts, which told him to calm his Guide down.

He wasn't prepared for Chuck to suddenly seize him in a hug, projecting a combination of apology and a tangled clump of emotions that ranged from sad to guilt to pain. He returned the hug and let the redhead come apart in his arms; pretended, for the sake of the Guide's pride that he didn't see his face crumple or feel the salt water now dripping onto his shirt. The blond rubbed his back but didn't say anything just yet.

Chuck pulled back abruptly and began to move away.

Raleigh stopped him and gently brushed the tears from his cheeks. "I came online right before Yancy got pulled from the conn-pod." He murmured softly.

The redhead grabbed him, eyes wide; he held still, let the Guide ascertain he wasn't going into a zone, before he continued.

"They didn't realize it until later. I'd already been exposed to so many sounds, scents..." He paused. "They still didn't do anything about it. So I left. Holed up in the wilderness until I could properly shut off my sight, then found my way to the Wall. Dealt with the other four senses by ignoring them."

Chuck's grip tightened; he was shaking. "Fuck." He hissed, then continued to swear.

"Hey." Raleigh said. "I'm not telling you this to make you feel worse; I'm telling you so you know. I'm not lying, I've only been trained for about two months, my senses still go haywire sometimes..."

Apparently the Aussie missed the first half of that explanation, because his face only crumpled more with each word.

Unsure of what to do or say, Raleigh pulled him into another hug. It was awkward, at least on his end, but from what he'd seen, most Guides responded well to physical contact. It was worth a shot, at least...

-x-x-x-x-

He'd just let Chuck—who seemed much calmer now—go, when Herc Hansen walked into their little area. He fought the urge to flinch; the older Ranger's expression was dark and promised pain, if not outright disemboweling.

"What happened?" He growled.

Chuck's shoulders slumped. "He didn't know."

Raleigh smothered a growl and pulled the redhead back into a hug. "I told you: I didn't say it so you'd start beating yourself up!"

"What d'you mean, didn't know?" Herc looked from one to the other.

"I didn't find out Chuck was my Guide until yesterday." Raleigh grumbled.

"Bullshit." The older Aussie snarled.

Raleigh's temper—already frayed by trying to keep it civil with one prickly Aussie, the stress from yesterday, his senses threatening to spike and the lingering exhaustion—was in Herc's face, IV ripped out, before either Hansen could even blink.

" _Shut the fuck up_." The blond hissed. "I didn't survive for five fucking years without any training to be told what I do and do not do with my senses by someone who's not even a Sentinel."

Chuck grabbed him, but didn't try to pull him away; Herc, looking like he'd sucked on a lemon, took a step back.

Only then did Raleigh even begin to calm, though he was a bit shaken by how he'd gone off like that, which only unsettled him further. While he'd always had a temper, lashing out physically had always been a last resort, normally prompted by someone else hitting first. He also wasn't so sure why _Herc_ of all people had been the one to make him go off. Sure, he didn't respect the man as a person, but he did still respect him as a soldier, even if he'd never, ever admit it. Plus, he had every right to be in Raleigh's face; his attempt to try to communicate civilly with Chuck had only made things worse. Or at least upset him, which Raleigh had not been going for. This time, at least.

"What kinda Sentinel are yah, then?" The elder redhead bit out.

"The kind that doesn't use their senses for every little thing." Raleigh responded coldly. "The only time mine are active is when I'm consciously using them. Beyond that, they're equal to a normal human's." He bit his tongue and tried to clamp down on his senses, which were still threatening to spike; he knew he should ask one of them to walk him through dialing them down but...

Chuck glanced between his Sentinel and his dad, none too sure how to defuse the situation. He knew—and didn't blame Raleigh—for not wanting to tell his dad everything. Hell, he was surprised the blond had told _him_. But something had to be done, quickly, before the two came to blows. His dad was good—really good—but he he didn't want to find out if his dad was better than a snapped Sentinel.

"An' you told him this?" Herc said.

"Wasn't about to lie to him, if that's what you're getting at." The Sentinel responded; Chuck's grip was the only thing stopping him from moving towards the other Guide.

"You mean to tell me this entire fucking time you had no clue?"

Raleigh nodded tightly as his sight flared; momentarily, he had a very close up, detailed view of the angry and protective look on Herc's face. He struggled but was able to force his sight to dial down, though it still left him with an ungodly headache.

"Wh—"

"Guide Hansen."

Both Hansens turned to find the head Guide, who looked none too pleased.

"If you are going to interfere in the bonding process, I am going to have to ask you to leave, father of the Guide or not." The man stated. "Yes, he's hurting, but so is Raleigh. They need to discuss and work it out themselves, which they cannot do if you insist on upsetting them."

Herc's eyes blazed but he nodded jerkily. The look he shot Raleigh before he left said that this wasn't over, not at all, but both relaxed after Herc had stepped beyond their curtained-off area.

"Would you two prefer one of the rooms?" The head Guide asked, manner markedly more friendly.

Raleigh cocked his head to the side, confused; he was too busy fighting the urge to sag with relief as his senses suddenly became a bit more manageable. The head Guide's mere presence helped him feel calmer and more grounded.

Chuck, however, turned tomato red before spluttering out a "no!"

The head Guide paused for a moment, sighed and then shook his head. "If you two decide otherwise..." He quickly left as Chuck somehow managed to turn redder.

He did not envy Raleigh; both of them had issues, though the Guide's were compounded by his father. Whom the head Guide prayed was not Pentecost's Guide, as things would get just that much more complicated. He paused, frowning slightly, after telling the nurses that an IV needed replacing. He'd heard from various sources about Raleigh's...intense...aversion to Guides in combat. While most Sentinels were not exactly okay with it, they were still able to respect the Guides—and their skills. And Raleigh didn't strike him as the sort to look down on Guides for being Guides; not in general, at least. And he knew Mori well enough to know she would have not tolerated that. Perhaps something in his file would be able to better explain...

-x-x-x-x-

Herc stormed into the quarters he'd begun to share with Stacker after the breach had been sealed. His Sentinel—well, not yet his, they couldn't even attempt to bond until the suppressants were out of the man's system, let alone things calming down and dealing with the governments of the world—would be able to distract him, if nothing else.

"I take it Chuck and Becket aren't off to the best start?" Stacker questioned delicately as he looked up from his book.

The redhead snarled in frustration, which prompted the other man to motion him over. Even with the heaviest dosage of suppressants permitted, Stacker had to fight the urge to march over to medical and raise all hell for whatever had pushed his Guide to this point.

While this was good in terms of bonding, it was bad in terms of essentially everything else, as he needed to remain calm, composed and untouchable for him to be able to deal with the government officials who would be clamoring to replace or be rid of him. He and his Rangers had saved the world; that made them—him especially—a threat in the eyes of the suits.

"I need to hit something." Herc finally muttered.

Stacker smiled. Now that? That was something he could deal with right now.

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha watched her husband's chest rise and fall; he still breathed, he only slept. The card game had fallen apart in stages—first, Gottlieb returning to Newt's side, then Jin falling asleep; not long after that, Chance dragged Cor off for some needed shut eye. She and Aleksis had remained, keeping watch for another hour or so, before they, too, claimed a pair of beds. Once he was horizontal, her husband was asleep; the day had been exhausting.

She had not expected to return from the Anteverse; had expected that their attempt to save Raleigh would fail, would result in both her and her husband's demise, right alongside the younger pilot's...her husband had known this. But he had agreed and they had gone nonetheless. For that, she was proud of him.

Either way, they had made it. Had kept the younger pilot alive too. She had a feeling that she had inadvertently saved more than one life by doing that; the younger Hansen's reaction...

Sasha was not overly familiar with Guides or Sentinels or their ways, but she was willing to bet Cherno that baby Hansen's reaction was not typical Guide behavior. A small sigh escaped her as she stretched, then relaxed. It was over. All were safe, all were fine, all came home...she supposed having spent so long as the only real defense between humanity and the kaiju made her reluctant to sleep now.

A quiet yawn escaped; her husband slipped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep." He rumbled softly. "We will deal with all else tomorrow."

"Including pranks from the Wei Tangs?"

He chuckled. "Especially those."

-x-x-x-x-

Jin sprawled across the two beds that they had claimed; he was asleep, peacefully so.

Cheung was not. While his exhaustion had enabled him to pass out on his brother's shoulder earlier and the sleep had been needed...now he was wide awake. And combination of concerned and discombobulated.

The three of them had always been together; always. The time Hu broke his arm, the time Jin broke his leg, the time Cheung himself had cracked his skull during a particularly ridiculous stunt. No one had been stupid enough to try to separate them; they'd been permitted to stay with their injured sibling in the hospital, no questions asked. Hell, the three had even piloted their jaeger together. Now, though...

Hu was going somewhere Jin and Cheung couldn't follow. He was a Sentinel, part of the Sentinel-Guide world now. Neither of his brothers would ever know, ever understand what it was like aside from the agony that had raced from him to them through the drift. They had no clue what it was to be Sentinel, or even what it was to be Guide.

And while Cheung trusted Mako enough and knew she would look after Hu—she had ejected herself from Gipsy, right alongside her copilot, to get into their conn pod to help Hu after he'd come online, after all—he was still the youngest. Not by much—only fifteen minutes or so—but...he still was. And his brothers had always looked out for him, protected him, accordingly. Now they could not. And now they were no longer the most important in his life. He knew, as did all 'normal' people, that a Sentinel's Guide or a Guide's Sentinel was the most important person in their life.

And while he'd expected that someday, his brothers would find someone to settle down with; someone they loved and treasured, even above the two of them...he had thought it would take longer than this. That it would happen long after the war was over, not start in the middle of one of the final battles of it.

"Stop worrying." Jin grumbled. "Keepin' me awake."

"Sorry." Cheung murmured and sat up.

Jin yanked him back down. "Not easy. We both know it. But unless things changed while I was asleep. We're still brothers. All of us. Hu will be with Mako more, now. But you still have me."

Cheung nodded and permitted his brother to use him as a pillow. That was how the three usually slept, all tangled together. Their mother had once compared them to kittens in a basket, then smiled when their response was to start meowing.

"Is over." Jin repeated softly. "We are fine. We are safe. We endured."

The eldest triplet nodded. He liked to think their mother would be proud of them—well, had been proud during all of it, but was more proud now. It was over. Now the only question was what they would do now...though he knew that would have to wait until after Hu and Mako's bonding. If the two would want to go where he and Jin decided to.

He closed his eyes. For now, things were alright. Changing and possibly more complicated, but alright. He'd adapt as needed, just like he always had.

"Yeah." Jin echoed sleepily. "Now sleep?" He asked, tone hopeful.

"Sleep." Cheung agreed.

-x-x-x-x-

The two were still dream-sharing, still relaxed and content.

"About bonding..." Hu murmured.

"About it...?" Mako prompted. She had her own ideas, her own plans, but she was interested in his view.

"I would prefer to court you, first. And train." He offered hesitantly. "It would also give us time to know one another better."

She smiled. "That is very similar to what I wished to do."

Hu frowned as he thought of something. "The Marshal. Does he know?"

"I...do not know if he is aware." She winced. "We will find out when we wake."

They looked at each other, suddenly wary. Mako knew this was her Sentinel, just as Hu knew this was his Guide...but if the Marshal did not approve...it would make things far more difficult and complicated than was necessary.

"...my brothers?" He asked, after a moment of silence.

"They are fine." She paused, eyes distant. "Sleeping, I think."

"How can you tell?"

"When people are asleep, their emotions are muted. Like memories in the drift."

Hu nodded, inwardly fascinated. He had always been curious about Guides and their empathy; now he guessed he would be able to find out more.

-x-x-x-x-

Hermann scowled, heavily, at his Sentinel as he entered the curtained-off area around his bed.

Moira glanced between them. "Uh. Would you rather..."

"No." The scientist stated coldly.

Newt smiled manically; they had had no choice but to give him a heavy dosage of painkillers to alleviate the headache he had from drifting with the kaiju. They'd checked him over thoroughly; nothing was physically amiss in his brain. The only way to make him comfortable, however, had been the painkillers.

"Hiya!" Newt chirped as he clutched at one of the extra pillows he'd been given. "Kissen!" He stated before he bopped Hermann in the face with it.

"Uh..." Moira mumbled as she watched the taller scientist rapidly turn red. "What did he just say, exactly?"

"Pillow." Came the flat reply.

"But it sounds like 'kiss' in English!" Newt giggled. "False cognate!" He booped the other man with the pillow again.

Hermann's eye twitched.

"Remember, Dr. Gottlieb. He's high off painkillers."

"Painkillers he would not need if he had simply _asked for assistance_." The man snarled.

"Butbut you wouldn't!" The Sentinel pouted. "You told me it was stupid. And now you're gonna yell. And when Nessa gets here, she'll yell too. I jus' waned to help..." Now the man looked like he was about to cry.

"If they gave him morphine, I will skin them."

Moira decided discretion was the better part of valor and that if the head Guide was worried, _**he**_ could join these two. She'd had enough of Sentinels and other Guides for today.

"Don skin people. S'not nice." The Sentinel whined as she left.

"It says clearly on your chart that you are not to have it, Newton."

"Newt." The Sentinel grumbled.

Hermann threw up his hands, but his intent to storm out was halted by another look at his Sentinel. The man was paler than usual; there were bags under his eyes; his hands shook slightly.

Newt booped him with the pillow again, eyes pleading.

"You need to learn to ask." Hermann muttered flatly as he joined his Sentinel on the bed; almost instantly, Newt's arms were around him and he was leaning on the taller man.

"But..."

"Verbally." He admonished gently. "I may be better at reading your intentions now, but what if you need assistance and I am not around?"

Newt shuddered and pulled him closer.

With something like a sigh, the Guide settled in and ran his fingers through the other man's hair. It wasn't long before his Sentinel was asleep; that was good, it would give him a chance to get the morphine out of his system. He'd have to have a chat with the next nurse that came along. Newt wasn't allergic to morphine, but it caused horrible mood swings and discomfort in general for the Sentinel, which meant that Hermann was less than okay with it.

He hoped Vanessa would arrive soon; she would help them balance themselves again.

-x-x-x-x-

Chance and Cor lay on the one bed they'd appropriated; they were used to squeezing together to fit on a small bed and the infirmary was no different.

"Any plans?" Cor asked softly.

"None in particular, but I know my grandda will welcome all of us home, if that's what we want. He'll probably come see us, regardless, but...we have a home. If we want it."

"...even me?"

"Yes, even you. He knew, the moment I came online, that there was a possibility my Guide would be male. I think he'll be more upset if we decide to never have kids." Chance murmured with a grin.

"Surrogate?"

"Nah, he wouldn't care if it was surrogate or adoption. So long as he has great-grandkids to spoil."

Cor smiled faintly before a small sigh escaped him. "I'm...not sure."

Chance pulled him closer, pressed a kiss to his temple. "Whatever you decide, I'm behind you."

"So if I decide to run off to Antarctica and become a rainbow-color-wearing hobo who chases penguins around?"

"...I'll follow you. But in sensible clothing. And with supplies." The Sentinel replied with a straight face.

Cor snickered softly, then sobered. He had few memories prior to the age of 25, when he'd woken in a hospital with severe injuries. The man asleep in the chair beside his bed, he'd known to look at him: this was his Sentinel. Later, he'd found out that it was his Sentinel who'd found him, who'd saved him. The two had been together, inseparable, ever since; Chance had been hesitant when Cor had joined him in Ranger training but could not fault the skill of his Guide.

From there, the two trained and eventually were considered good enough to be pilots, despite being a bonded Sentinel-Guide pair.

Cor had everything, now. A life, a family—albeit a small one—but...he couldn't help but wonder. What caused those injuries, who was he, did he still have any blood-related family left? Before, he'd chosen to ignore those questions, because there was no use searching for someone only to die by kaiju not long after he'd found them. But that excuse was gone now, had died with the war. So now he had to decide if he wanted to try. Wanted to see if there were records, if he'd been someone before his memories whited out in haze of pain and someone screaming for him.

"Whatever you decide." Chance repeated softly before nuzzling him; he relaxed in the embrace and pushed his thoughts away. He'd deal with it all in the morning. After all, he had a life now—one that did not include risking it on a semi-regular basis.

-x-x-x-x-

"Why would we need a room?" Raleigh asked as a nurse entered and motioned he sit back down so she could replace his IV. He reluctantly did so; he ignored that he only relaxed after Chuck had moved closer. Despite that, his senses were attempting to spike again and the pounding headache he had now was not helping the matter.

The nurse's face was impassive but judging by Chuck's expression, she was amused; she finished replacing the IV, then left without a word, apparently unbothered by the fury Chuck was projecting.

"Hansen."

The glower was turned on him. "What?"

"Are you going to make me repeat myself?"

"Don't you know _anything_?" The Guide hissed. 

"I threw out the pamphlet. When I got here, my goal was to help end this, not to find my Guide." Raleigh informed him flatly, jaw muscle ticking; his anger was just making the headache and his control over his senses worse.

Chuck grinned bitterly. "Congrats, mate. Ya found me!"

"Look, I wouldn't know if I hadn't been told. And shown this." Raleigh held up an article Moira had left with him.

The redhead snatched it and scanned it before tossing it aside. "You needed to be _told_."

"Like I told you: I don't use my senses like most other Sentinels."

"Yeah, well, you're also more of an arse than most!"

The blond twitched as touch dialed up; the scrubs he was in were not the most comfortable of things. "And how d'you figure that?"

"Most other Sentinels actually respect my dad. Respect me. Acknowledge that we can fucking fight! That fucker Chance does, even if he'd rather become kaiju bait than take orders from either of us."

"At the moment, 'that fucker Chance' wants both of _you_ to be kaiju bait." Chance growled as he stuck his head in. "Some of us are trying to sleep, shitheads."

"Seconded." Cor grumbled, but made no move to come any closer.

Raleigh rolled his eyes. "Then get out and go back to sleep."

"No point if you two are gonna start again." Chance grumbled before he sighed. "Alright, what's the problem, anyway?"

"Who the fuck invited you?" Chuck snarled.

"You did. Calling my name summons me, no take-backsies. That said, the sooner you idiots sort this out, the sooner I can fucking sleep. Now. What?"

Both glared at him, silently; Raleigh was hoping he'd leave and leave soon, because the urge to throw the other Sentinel out was rising. Between that, his headache and his other four senses still barely under his control...

"Ohkay. Y'wanna play hardball. I'm game. You—" He pointed at Chuck. "Are pissed that Raleigh won't respect your skills. And you—" He pointed to Raleigh. "Are being incredibly old-fashioned, not to mention intolerant."

"What?" Raleigh snapped, then smothered a snarl as smell came online. He shook it off, ignoring the influx of the scent of disinfectant that made his stomach roll. "You said yourself—"

"I said I don't like Guides in combat; no sane Sentinel does. That said, I know damn well the Hansens, Mori and Cor are more than fucking capable. I respect that they can do what I do and do it _better_ in some cases." Chance rattled off. "How the hell else do you think I handled piloting with my own Guide, let alone alongside others?"

Raleigh glowered. "I respect Cor and Mako; my problem is the Hansens."

"Lemme guess. They don't have a Sentinel involved. They're unfit because of it."

"No! They're just reckless—"

"Reckless?! Where d'you get off callin' ANYONE reckless?!" Chuck seethed.

Chance facepalmed; Raleigh went dead white as all his senses except sight were now dialed up and out of his control.

He managed out through numb lips, "I get off callin' you reckless because I know damn well what it is. Recklessness is what got Yancy killed."

"Yeah, well in case you didn't notice, both my dad and I are ALIVE!" Chuck growled back; the tone, coupled with his now-enhanced hearing...it was the last straw. He had to get out of here and he had to get out NOW.

"Probably thanks to Chance and Cor." Was Raleigh's cold parting shot as he left the infirmary, ripping the IV out for the second time.

-x-x-x-x-

"Fuck." Chuck hissed. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck—"

"Hey." Cor grabbed him, made him look at him. "Calm down."

Chance sighed. "Seems like you two's courtship is going to be more fun than ours was."

"Fun?" Chuck snarled.

"In only the most ironic sense of the word." Cor supplied as he coaxed the other Guide into sitting down. "Let's see if some of the others are up, yeah? We can play cards for a bit..."

Chance nodded. "Sounds good to me." He turned to the redhead. "Might help take your mind off things. And, yeah, you two keep hittin' each others' sore spots. But...I think you'll get better at not doin' that."

"It'll take time." His Guide added softly. "It did for us."

"I can't even fucking talk to him." The Aussie muttered.

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, he's not doing much better with you. And I'm pretty darn sure just about everyone else is sick of him acting like you're the root of all evil. You're not a bad kid. Bad at expressing yourself, yeah, but who the fuck isn't?"

Cor swatted him. "Neither of them are innocent in this. But...I think Raleigh needs to learn that just because he doesn't get on with certain Guides...well, it doesn't make them any less capable than those he does get on with."

"Hear, hear." Sasha muttered as she joined them, Aleksis in tow.

Chuck stared.

Aleksis shrugged. "We told him you are not bad kid; rough around the edges but not bad."

The Aussie looked at the four gathered, surprised. Jin and Cheung grumped their way over and added their two cents; they agreed and also wanted in on the card game.

-x-x-x-x-

The next day, Vanessa Gottlieb made her way into the Shatterdome and received a very, very warm welcome from the med techs, who were more than happy to turn her husband and the Sentinel over to her.

All three were moved to different quarters, as it had been determined that the nurse who gave Newt the morphine? Was not even one of the med techs who belonged to the Shatterdome. Until they figured out who she was, security everywhere had been increased. Everyone had been informed that they needed to keep an eye out and if someone unfamiliar was walking around, report them.

-x-x-x-x-

Herc had returned to the infirmary, Pentecost accompanying him, to find Chuck in the midst of a card game with Sasha, Aleksis, Jin, Cheung, Cor and Chance. He was smiling, slightly; his mood obviously bolstered by the friendly but not careful treatment he was receiving. They accepted him, as he was; they called him on his shit; they did not treat him like he was glass. This was all Chuck had ever wanted; to be accepted, as he was; a Guide who could and did pilot. The fact that there was a Sentinel in the group only made it better.

Herc relaxed, slightly, as he observed; Pentecost was hard put not to smile at the sight. He sobered, slightly and cursed those that had pushed both Hansens into the position they were in now. Chuck and Herc had been closer to typical Guides prior to all the shit they got for wanting to pilot, managing it and then managing it better than any of the Sentinels they had in service. So many had called them unnatural, had called them every sort of name that could be thought of. Even more had condemned them, especially when the Sentinels started to fall but they, the Guide-pilots, remained.

Pentecost remembered Chuck, before he'd entered the academy. He'd been a bit reticent in terms of interacting with others, but he'd been alright with physical contact. Had been comfortable enough with his dad to receive it or ask for it, if he needed it. But after academy? He'd become an angry, aggressive mess, determined to prove himself. And he more than had, as far as Pentecost was concerned. Both he and his father had, long before now. If only others would see it...

He'd thought no one else had. But, as he watched the other pilots interact with him, he realized he'd been wrong. Plenty of others had seen it and now they were showing Chuck that they had, without Herc or him having to intervene. It was more than he could have asked for.

"Dad?"

Herc smiled. "What game are y'playin?"

"Crazy eights." Chuck replied.

"Still a little tired from yesterday." Chance murmured. "And I didn't want to take any risks with Egyptian War."

Herc eyed him, not sure what to make of a Sentinel that would readily admit their weakness.

Cor smirked. "I've got him well-trained, sir."

Chance stuck his tongue out at his Guide, then blew a raspberry at him.

That caused a small bout of laughter.

"Yer alright. For a Sentinel." Herc admitted.

Chance bowed. "Thank you kindly, sir. I appreciate the ringing endorsement."

Cor rolled his eyes. "Between you and Moira it's a wonder I don't have grey hair. Or speak sarcastically."

Aleksis chuckled. "You are like old married couple."

The horrified expression on Chance's face prompted more laughter; Cor fell off the bed, he was shaking so hard.

"We've only been together for..." The Sentinel paused, counting. "Four years! Ish."

"Old married couple." Sasha agreed, nodding.

"Fuck." Chance muttered as everyone else snickered.

"Hey, has anyone seen—do I wanna know?" Moira asked as she stopped in front of Cor, whom she gave a hand up.

"We have a new moniker." Cor responded, eyes dancing.

"Fuck you." Chance whined.

Cor just smirked.

"Ohkay, on that note, check please!" Moira cut in.

Chuck glared at her. "What d'you want?"

"The head Guide sent me to get Raleigh."

"That fucker's not here." The redhead returned flatly.

Before Moira could snap back, Chance interrupted.

"No, seriously, sis. He's..." The Sentinel shook his head.

"He's what?" Herc asked.

The Kaidanovskys and the two triplets exchanged glances, snagged a deck of cards and retreated to a separate area. None of them wanted any part of whatever Sentinel-Guide conflict that was going to occur.

"Quite frankly? I'm done with his attitude towards Guides. Well, everyone who's not Mori or Cor, anyway." Chance supplied.

"What are you talking about?"

"You missed most of it." Cor muttered. "You were normally out for repairs."

"Becket's a fucking asshole." Chuck snapped.

Moira took a breath. And resisted the urge to lash out.

"What did he do now?" Pentecost cut in, voice calm and authoritative.

"Aside from telling Chuck and I we aren't combat-worthy?" Herc commented in a bland tone.

"What?" Chance snarled. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"He...said the only reason you and Chuck were still alive was probably because of the two of us." Cor muttered, gesturing to his Sentinel.

"Like I said." Chuck stated. "Becket's a fucking asshole."

"And you're just daddy's perfect little angel, aren't you?" Moira returned flatly.

Herc took a step forward. "Shut yer—"

"Enough."

All stopped, obeying the implicit command in the tone.

"If you have a complaint about discrimination to make against Ranger Becket, fill out a report. I will look into it myself. Tech Rowan, you were out of line. Apologize."

"Maybe later." She responded. "My job—which **you** transferred me to, might I remind you—is to look out for both Sentinels and Guides. Raleigh was out of line, _way_ out of line, for what he said. But when you make cracks about someone's _dead sibling_ , you can't expect them to pull any punches."

Pentecost looked at the other four. "Is this true?"

Herc and Chance nodded stiffly. Cor waited, then shook his head; this was rapidly going from problematic to out of control.

Pentecost returned his gaze to Moira.

"I apologize." She muttered stiffly. "Next time I'll try to remember to get to the point without insulting someone first."

"See that you do."

She took it as the dismissal it was and left.

Pentecost stared hard at the other four. "Do not attempt to bring me into whatever quarrel is going on here. Becket was in the wrong, yes, but Chuck is no innocent party if he was makin' remarks about Yancy Becket." The Marshal's eyes lingered the longest on Herc before he, too, left.

-x-x-x-x-

"Christ, Becket, really?!"

Raleigh, who'd just barely managed to wrestle his senses back under control, jumped and spun to find an incensed Moira two feet away. "W-what?"

"Herc and Chuck Hansen aren't combat-worthy? They're only alive because of my brother and his Guide? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Hansen—"

"Is not innocent and said asshole will get his later. Right now, we're discussin' you. Him hittin' below the belt was a dick move. You doin' it back was even worse. You're older; you're supposed to be more mature."

"Yeah, well..."

Moira raised her eyebrows.

"...he made another crack about Yance. I..."

"Wanted to hurt him back, so you sucker punched him verbally, then swept out before he could retort. Next time, how 'bout we skip the verbal lashing out and just walk away, mm?"

Raleigh sighed. "Look."

"No, **you** look. I've never had a problem with you as far as my being a Guide went; we both know Mako would have happily handed your arse to you if you even implied anything of the like to her. What makes Herc and Chuck so different?"

"It's not because there's no Sentinel involved." The blond snapped.

"...I never said it was?"

"Your brother did."

"Aaaand I'm not him. I lack the senses and some rather necessary parts."

Raleigh glowered at her, but his heart wasn't in it. The fury had fizzed out, leaving him tired, sad and...a bit guilty. He wasn't sure why, honestly, but that seemed to be a very sore spot for Chuck; it was one he needed to stop bringing up. A small sigh escaped him; the headache he hadn't been able to do anything about.

"Now, c'mon."

"I'm not—"

"We're not goin' to see Hansen; he can go stew a while. The head Guide wants to see you."

As he followed her, he heard her mutter, "if this is the shit he has to deal with, no wonder he wants to fucking retire."

-x-x-x-x-

The head Guide looked up from his paper work as they entered; Pentecost turned and fixed his thousand-yard-stare on Raleigh.

"Becket. There is to be no discrimination based on someone's status as Guide, Sentinel or normal. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Raleigh replied, jaw clenched.

"Tech Rowan."

"Sir?"

"While I appreciate your contribution so the full story was exposed, if you ever speak to me like that again, you _will_ be court marshaled."

"Yes, sir." She responded with a nod.

"As to that." The head Guide murmured. "I have an explanation."

"As to what?" Pentecost prodded.

"Why Raleigh is so protective in general of Guides." The head Guide held up a file; his hand was over the tab where the name was.

"And?" Moira asked.

"Raleigh, were you aware that your brother was a Guide?"

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck suddenly went dead white and doubled over, clutching at his chest.

"Chuck?!" Herc was at his side, instantly; Cor joined him, helped the older Guide stabilize his son.

"What the fuck was that?" Cor managed out once they'd helped Chuck with his shielding; whatever it was had almost shattered it.

"Raleigh." The younger redhead managed out.

-x-x-x-x-

"Hey, Raleigh. Yes. Over here. Look at me. No, not that. ME. C'mon, over here. No. HERE."

The blond felt like snickering as he let Moira's annoyed commentary guide him out of his zone. Then he came out of it and felt sick, from the shock and his headache.

"Yance." He croaked. "Was a Guide?"

"It says he was, right here in his file. Also says he was on suppressants, because normally siblings, especially those close in age...if one's a Sentinel or Guide, the other is usually their compliment."

"Yep." Moira murmured. "Helps keep 'em grounded and sane until they can find a Guide of their own. Also gives Guides practice on how to pull Sentinels from zones, as well as prevent them in the first place."

"So?" Raleigh muttered as he was coaxed onto a chair.

"So there was a good chance you were a Sentinel to start with; you just hadn't come online. But a Guide in danger? You'd've come online and killed both of you in the process, as you would have had no control, all your senses would have been haywire and he would have been connected directly to your mind. He'd have been exposed to, been experiencing the same debilitating pain you would have been. So he would have been unable to help." The head Guide explained.

"Fuck." Raleigh mumbled.

"There's more to it." Pentecost murmured.

"Indeed there is, Marshal. Yancy wasn't given his suppressants for the last drop. That's why Raleigh came online."

The head Guide continued speaking, but it was all white noise to Raleigh.

His brother's death was because of a combination of his coming online and recklessness. The recklessness was on him; the coming online, that he'd taken the blame for too. But...it was someone else's doing?

"Can y'two NOT?" Moira snapped, pulling him from an almost zone. That had to be some sort of record; almost zoning twice within a five minute span. The blond dropped his head on her shoulder and let the calm-protectiveness wash over him; his headache eased a little.

"Right." The head Guide murmured. "Marshal, if you want more on this..."

"I want to find the doctor responsible. I want them here yesterday." Pentecost stated.

"I'll start on that now."

"Tech Rowan, Ranger Becket. With me."

Raleigh sighed but got up and walked even with Moira as they followed the Marshal.

-x-x-x-x-

"We aren't even bound." Chuck managed out as the last of the phantom pain from Raleigh faded.

"You're his Guide. He's your Sentinel. If you need one another and have already met, well...that's how it comes across before a bond." Cor supplied with a shrug. "Usually not quite that painfully, though."

Chance frowned. "So what could have caused it, then?"

"He's still alive." Cor said flatly before Chuck could do more than pale.

"Why should we care?" Herc growled.

Chuck gave his dad a flat look. "Because he's my Sentinel. Even if he is a fucking asshole."

"Then prove it."

All three turned to look at Chance.

"Prove to him what you already know: both of you are combat-worthy. Have always been so." The Sentinel stated. "He doesn't strike me as the type to stick their head in the sand and blindly keep repeating whatever they think."

-x-x-x-x-

Both Mako and Hu snapped awake in unison.

"...what was that...?" Hu murmured, stunned.

"Raleigh." Mako responded.

He winced slightly but began to climb slowly out of bed, stretching as he went.

"What...?"

"He is your copilot and friend. We will go find him."

She smiled before following him out of their little area.

"Is there a problem?" Hu asked; Cor, Chance and Herc were all but hovering over Chuck.

"You felt that?" Chuck asked; Mako nodded.

"...did you two fight again?" She asked.

The Aussie nodded stiffly.

"You two." She grumbled, then glanced to the door as the Marshal walked in. "Sensei?"

"Ranger Becket and Tech Rowan have been transferred." He informed them.

Chuck froze. How could Pentecost do that?

"Where?" Mako asked after several beats of silence.

"The newly elected Prime Minister of Australia has told the rest of the world, save China, that they don't care what they have to say about jaegers or the program. They are re-openin' the Sydney Shatterdome and that's where the two are going. They are accompanyin' the head Guide." He informed them all. "Any questions?"

Herc glowered; he felt no lie from the man. "Where d'you get off separatin' a pair?"

"They're not bonded and, from the way they were carryin' on? It was unlikely that they would. Tech Rowan will do m—"

"No." Chuck snarled, lurching to his feet; the others all stared at Pentecost in shock; Herc, the only one aware of Pentecost as a Sentinel, had more than a hint of horror on his face.

"—will do much better for helping Ranger Becket through his therapy than you will, Ranger Hansen."

All stared.

"Therapy." Chuck repeated flatly.

"Yes, therapy. The head Guide has discovered why Raleigh has such a vehement reaction when it comes to Guides in combat, especially the two of you."

"Okay. That iiiiis?" Chance said.

"Not my story to tell, Ranger Johnson. As you were." He stated before he returned to his office. He needed to prepare for another video conference meeting; he also needed to take another dose of suppressants and stay away from Herc, as their effectiveness waned considerably around his Guide.

-x-x-x-x-

"What the fuck." Chuck seethed.

"He can't do that. Can he?" Chance asked, turning toward Herc and Cor.

Mako sighed. "He can. And I believe he just did."

Hu stood closer, but did not actually touch her, unsure if she was alright with displaying affection in public.

Herc shook his head, still trying to process. He'd gone from wanting to protect his son from that fuckup of a Sentinel, to wondering what the fuck the Marshal—his own Sentinel, his brain supplied—had done to his son's Sentinel, to wanting to drag the damned blond brat back home, if only so his son would calm down...and he could show him just what this particular 'Guide' was capable of.

"I...don't think that was true." Cor supplied once everyone had calmed down a bit. "I can sense Moira; she's fuming and she's about fifty feet thataway."

"What are we waiting for?" Sasha inquired as she, Aleksis, Cheung and Jin joined the group.

-x-x-x-x-

"I do not approve of this. I do not approve of this at all." Moira muttered flatly.

Raleigh gave her his best bitchface; she only rolled her eyes.

"I know why _we're_ in here." Newt grumbled. "But how'd you two get stuffed in here?"

Hermann sighed; Vanessa shook her head, a smile curving the edges of her lips.

"Apparently the Marshal has a plan. A really fucking stupid one." The Guide snarled. "Separate Hansen and Raleigh—who should be courtin', workin' towards bondin' if that's what they want—and paint me as the homewrecking hooker-thing."

The blond made a face. "You wouldn't. I know you wouldn't. You don't even—"

"You know me; Hansen does not. Hansen is also going to be in 'I am going to kill that bitch for attempting to go anywhere near my Sentinel' mode and not likely to listen to REASON."

"...he wouldn't actually hurt you...right?" Raleigh asked hesitantly.

"Oh, he would." Newt responded cheerfully. "Guides can be just as territorial as Sentinels, especially if they haven't bonded."

Moira nodded when the blond looked to her for confirmation.

"What the fuck." He rose and began to pace, trying to rid himself of some of the anger before it built up.

"Pentecost: good at winning wars, bad at Sentinel-Guide relations." Moira summed up tiredly.

"Agreed."

All five jumped.

-x-x-x-x-

"Are y'sure—"

"She's not staying in there." Raleigh growled; Chuck shut up, but glared at the blond as the two, plus Moira, slipped off to a deserted part of the 'Dome. The others had acted as lookouts and distractions so Chuck could 'rescue' Raleigh.

Right now the Aussie was wishing he'd left him in there with his 'little friend'.

"Hansen, I will say this once. And only once. I do not want Raleigh as my Sentinel."

The redhead's eyes narrowed but before he could snap back at her, Raleigh directed them into an empty, dusty room and all but closed the door.

"Okay, now argue."

Both Guides glared.

"What? We're supposed to be sneaking around, not having screaming matches in the hallway. They echo, you know."

Moira raised an eyebrow. "Do we want to know how you know they echo?"

Raleigh smirked.

"...taking that as a 'no'." She mumbled before returning her attention to a visibly pissed Chuck.

"He's not good enough for you?" The redhead commented darkly.

"My Sentinel is dead, asshole."

That drew the Aussie up short.

"Now, how 'bout instead of focusing on me, you two have a chat? I'm pretty sure you could use it, what with the fact that all you two seem to do is bicker."

"Why the fuck should Chuck being a Guide and fighting be such a sore spot?" Raleigh butted in.

The redhead stared. "What d'you mean 'why is it a sore spot'?"

"Why. I don't get it. I don't like you or your dad out there and fighting, but that's because you two remind me of Yancy. What's the big deal?"

"Do you have any _idea_ the shit my dad and I went through just to prove we could fucking pilot, _Ray_?!"

"No, I don't. I was building the fucking Wall and pretending the jaeger program didn't exist!"

Moira stepped outside. And glared at the smug Marshal who was on the nearest vid-screen. "They haven't made up yet."

"Yet." He repeated, then cut the feed.

She sighed and sat, leaning against the wall. Someone had to stick around and make sure those two idiots didn't accidentally lock themselves in.

...on second thought, that sounded very appealing.

-x-x-x-x-

"You literally have no idea." Chuck repeated blankly.

"I've been a Sentinel for five years in a place where there were no Sentinels or Guides. The only pairs I've interacted with since I came here are Echo's pilots and the K-science guys. The attitude I developed towards you two? I explained that." Raleigh smothered a snarl as touch dialed itself back up; what the fuck. He'd had his senses, all of them, largely under control once he'd come back down from the roof.

"Oh, we're like your brother. Right." The Aussie scoffed.

"You both are reckless. And yeah, you two are alive. But that doesn't change the likeness." He shifted slightly, ignoring the grating pull of rough material across his skin. Fuck. The other four were trying to spike now too.

Chuck bit his tongue to stop himself from snarking back. "Really?"

Exhausted blue eyes met his. "Really."

"So that's why you don't respect us. Respect _me_."

"You wanted to know why, I fucking told you why." The blond growled tiredly.

"There's more to this. There has to be." The redhead pressed.

"Yeah, well, you don't need to fucking know." He wanted this conversation over and he wanted it over _now_. Before sight managed to spike; if it did again, he knew damn well he'd zone and that was the last thing he wanted to do in front of this particular Guide.

"I'm your—"

"Fuck off, Hansen. Just—fuck off. I am not in the mood."

Green eyes narrowed. "Looks like your therapy's useless."

He jerked in surprise; hearing dialed itself back up. He fought to ignore the sudden increase in sounds as he hissed, "who the fuck told you about that?!"

"The Marshal."

Raleigh stormed out, slamming the door behind him and ignored the ringing in his ears.

The muffled curses that indicated Chuck was locked in didn't make him feel any better; nor did it bring him any amusement.

-x-x-x-x-

Moira waited until Raleigh was long gone before she opened the door.

"Why the FUCK didn't you let me out before!?"

"Because you two need to calm down. If you keep talking or trying to while you're still angry, all you're gonna do is hurt each other worse." She informed him. "You're expected back in the infirmary in fifteen."

"Not without Raleigh, I'm not." The redhead knew something was off; that was twice now the Sentinel had literally run away from him.

"Explain that to the Marshal and your dad." The other Guide retorted as she walked off.

Chuck tried and failed to use his empathy to pinpoint where his wayward Sentinel had stormed off to. He snarled a curse before he stomped off towards the infirmary.

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha and Aleksis snuck back into the med wing and returned to the beds they'd claimed as theirs the night before. Both had been too busy during the day to even begin to discuss what they might do now that the war was over.

"Ideas?" Aleksis asked softly.

"None." Sasha admitted. "I did not expect..."

He sighed. "I did not either."

"I did not think the Marshal would leave nothing for us pilots." She murmured. "But I am not so sure. After today."

"He has a plan." Her husband responded.

"How do you know?"

"He always does."

She couldn't argue with that; the two decided to switch to a calmer topic, as they would probably fall asleep soon. They decided, before they did, that tomorrow would be the planning day. Russia was their home; had always been. But they did not wish to return, not now. They would be treated as heroes of the state; they would receive no peace, no quiet.

It would not be an environment to raise the children they hoped to have in.

-x-x-x-x-

"Think they've made up?" Cheung asked as he, Jin, Hu and Mako escaped to the roof.

Mako paused, then winced. "I think they fought again."

"Seriously?" Jin whined; Hu made a face.

"They are too set in their ways, both of them. Raleigh does not know what Guides, especially the Hansens, have had to deal with. If someone were to remark I was incapable because I am a Guide, he would be the first to defend me. But he..."

"Doesn't like you in combat. I can relate." Hu mumbled. "You're capable. More than. But..."

"But it goes against your instincts?" Mako questioned.

He nodded as his brothers exchanged looks.

"But that's part of the problem." She sighed. "He accepted me, accepted Cor. But he did not accept the Hansens. Neither will tolerate anything less than respect. But they don't know Raleigh is largely ignorant of Sentinel-Guide relations. Let alone the problems they had getting a chance to pilot."

"He should still respect them. I respect them as pilots. As people? Working on it. But definitely as pilots." Cheung murmured; Jin nodded.

"He should." Mako agreed. "But they are both too short-tempered. Not to mention sensei is up to something..."

"Something he should not be." Hu muttered. "Interfering in a courtship is never good."

Jin made a face. "What's the big deal about courtship, anyway?"

Cheung gave him a look. "Did you not pay attention?"

"Unless it was a class that involved jaegers? No."

The other three exchanged resigned looks.

-x-x-x-x-

"Hansen?" Cor asked; Chance started.

"The fuck are you doin' lurkin' in a hallway? Thought you'd be with—"

"Fuck him." Came the vehement hiss as frustration and anger along with the tiniest sliver of concern were projected. The moment Chuck realized it, he stopped.

Cor gave Chance a Look before he knelt down beside the other Guide. "Another fight?"

"Not even." Was the even-sounding reply.

Cor had to admire his control, as keeping oneself blank when feeling that measure of emotion took skill as a Guide, but cursed the fact that it had been necessary for him to learn. He'd hoped this would be the chance for both Chuck and Raleigh to resolve things without interference—Moira was good at playing door guard, if she was in a helpful mood—but apparently not...

"Why don't we head back to the med wing?" He suggested.

Chuck glowered at him. "Like fuck if I want to see Rayleigh."

"But you do. That's the crux of the whole thing. If anyone else had talked to you the way he has, you'd've written or brushed them off with a bored 'fuck you' and not thought about them again. But this is different; this is your Sentinel."

"Don't remind me."

"Look. Whatever happens between you two—or doesn't—it's on you guys' terms. The sooner everyone else gets out of the middle, the better. I'll do my damndest to get everyone to leave you two alone, but you two also have to stop blowing up at one another." The older Guide responded.

"Becket's not comin' anywhere near my son." Herc growled as he stalked over, trailed by Chance.

"With all due respect, Guide Hansen, that's not your decision to make. It's Chuck's." Cor informed him.

Both flinched.

"It's Ranger." Herc snarled, then calmed some when he saw the confusion on both Cor and Chance's faces.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you guys endured a hell of a lot more shit than even Cor did." The Sentinel murmured.

"He had a Sentinel to 'protect' him." Chuck muttered bitterly. "What 'shit' did he get for that?"

"Christ." Chance mumbled. "This is turning into a comedy of fucking errors."

-x-x-x-x-

Hermann watched his Sentinels interact; Vanessa, despite being a Sentinel, had a very calming effect on Newt. Newt, in turn, provided a sense of excitement, of energy, for her. The morphine was mostly out of his system, now.

Both turned their attention to him; he was suddenly the filling in a Sentinel-sandwich.

"This really isn't necessary." He murmured as both began to fuss over him.

"Course it is." Newt responded. "You've put up with me high on painkillers."

"Morphine, no less." Vanessa added as she smoothed his hair.

"Besides." Newt continued. "It's over, now. All of it. Portal closed, kaiju gone. You can finally relax."

"We all can." She finished as she pulled a blanket over all three of them.

He didn't want to admit it...but sleeping, curled up with his Sentinels? Both of them, for the first time in a very long while? It...sounded pretty good.

Due to necessity, they'd normally ended up separated during the war. He had always been with one of them, thankfully, but that meant one of them had had to rely on a temporary Guide to keep them zone-free. All the while, they could sense the other two through their bond, sense them but not hear, see, smell or touch them. Hermann was well aware how maddening it had been for them, but now? There would be no need for it.

When he glanced up, he found both Sentinels smiling softly at him.

"Very well."

Their smiles widened and they hugged him tightly, though they were mindful of their strength. He put an arm around each in return and basked in the feeling of being safe, being home.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh punched in the code to enter his room, then closed the door silently. He wanted to be left alone. ...okay, he wouldn't have been adverse to Mako or Moira's company right now. But definitely not Chuck's. Not while he tried to process that his coming online—and quite possibly Yancy's death—had been caused by someone fucking around. Or just simple oversight. And his senses. He'd had them largely under control, with a few exceptions, for most of the time he'd been here. Now, suddenly, whenever he was near the mouthy Aussie they went haywire?

He sat on his bed for a moment, took a breath, let it out slowly. As he calmed, he was able to drag both hearing and touch back down to normal levels.

The pamphlet still poked out of his bin. He pulled it out and threw it on the floor in front of his bed before he paced, trying to work off the lingering adrenaline. Unfortunately, his room was too small to lend itself to pacing; he sat on his bed with a huff. His eyes were drawn to the pamphlet...and he did need a distraction. Or at least to find out why the fuck every sense spiked around Chuck.

He reluctantly picked it up and opened it, ignoring the cheery and somewhat condescending greeting on the front.

As he read on, he felt sick. Had he so much as glanced at this, he would have known almost from the start that Chuck was his Guide; that Chuck wasn't being an asshole to be an asshole. He wanted Raleigh's attention, Raleigh's acknowledgment. And Raleigh ignoring him? Was possibly the worst thing he could have done aside from outright rejection. So Chuck had done whatever it took to get his attention. And keep it.

With two other Guides constantly around him, unbound...it must have driven him to distraction. The thought of two unbound Sentinels constantly hovering around Chuck were enough to make him see red and he wasn't even sure he _liked_ the redhead. And then add in the fact that the Aussie had thought he'd known...

He eyed the old laptop that had been left on his desk from the many movie marathons. The pamphlet had said nothing about senses and spiking around one certain Guide. He sighed, then grabbed it, returned to his bed and booted it up. Once it was up and wheezing, he clicked the internet browser, then typed in "Sentinel-Guide relations". Then he hit enter.

-x-x-x-x-

Pentecost made it through the meeting; he'd kept himself as calm, as composed, as untouchable as usual. Tendo Choi had been with him; had helped him with the suits and their simpering, smiling congratulations.

They made him sick, they really did. They had been ready to throw the entire world away because of their greed. The only one who didn't make him want to lose his temper and snarl at them was the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia, who actually was keen on reopening the Sydney Shatterdome. In fact, the woman had made it clear that she and her entire country would welcome the PPDC with open arms. She'd hinted that they'd love nothing more than for the Sydney 'Dome to become the headquarters of the organization.

Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to work into the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps' charter that each and every member was essentially considered a diplomat when not in a Shatterdome; they did not keep their ties to their old country unless they chose to. This would prevent the pilots from being coerced into 'coming home' so they could be paraded about like heroes by the very people who had all but signed the death warrant of the entire world to satisfy their greed.

The charter of the PPDC stated that it was, essentially, its own nation; none of the suits had read it closely when signing it or they would have known, during the meeting, better than to try to inform him that he'd best return their pilots; they had victory celebrations to plan. Their smug, self-satisfied looks had faded when he pointed this out.

Tendo'd had to step out of view so he could properly conceal his laughter.

"So?" The J-Tech Chief asked once it was over and all screens were dark.

"The beginning." Pentecost murmured. "It's a start but we'll have to be careful. We survived and we saved the world. But none of my people are show ponies. We will do interviews at some point; the PR people are planning it so that the pilots can get some rest in the mean time."

"So until then...?"

"Until then, we're good. But we need to keep public opinion on our side. It's our best protection from the suits."

-x-x-x-x-

"So what's changing?" Cheung eventually asked.

There had been a lingering, if comfortable silence for the past fifteen minutes. All four of them were looking to the sky; the starts were surprisingly visible, despite the light from the city.

"What do you mean?" Hu responded, frowning.

Mako looked between the three, face carefully neutral.

"With us." Jin eventually supplied. "With you two."

Hu blinked. "I will court Mako and I will train. What else is there to change?"

At the shock from both her Sentinel's brothers, Mako smiled.

"It will be different." She murmured. "But I am not here to take your brother away."

Both nodded, still not quite comfortable.

That was alright, though. It would take time for all to adjust to their new reality; between the war ending and their brother suddenly coming online...it was a lot to take in. And it was for her, as well. She figured the four might as well learn together, adjust together. Perhaps they'd be willing to learn about Sentinels...she certainly wanted them to still be able to spend time alone, just the three of them. But she couldn't in good conscience allow it unless one or both of his brothers would be able to recognize and pull him from a zone. Despite not being Guides themselves...it might work, as they still presumably had a neural bridge with him from their piloting.

When she remarked as such, Cheung and Jin lit up.

Hu frowned. He wasn't too sure why his brothers were under the impression he was abandoning them, but he was thankful Mako had managed to defuse the situation. And he was going to start training tomorrow, regardless of whatever drama ensued.

-x-x-x-x-

Herc was glad Chuck had been taken in hand by Cor and Chance; the two would keep him busy, if nothing else. He still had to smother a sigh as he fed Max. The dog, at least, was happy to see him and even happier was the Striker tech who'd handed him back to his owner.

"He wouldn't stop crying." The red-eyed tech grumbled.

Herc had muttered his apologies and led the dog back to the quarters he usually shared with his son.

The thought of his offspring made him heave a sigh. It was just his luck, honestly. They'd spent so long proving themselves, making people realize that Guides could and did do the same things Sentinels did, but Chuck's Sentinel ended up being one of the backward ones.

His computer dinged.

He ignored it for a moment; he also knew he'd fucked up where his own Sentinel was concerned. Stacker had to stay distant, stay impersonal, stay impartial, to continue as Marshal. And he'd almost fucked that up in his haste to deal with Becket and the backwards attitude that grated on him so badly. He knew his Sentinel was avoiding him, too.

Then he rose and checked the email; to his surprise, it was from the head Guide. Frowning, he opened it and began to scan the contents.

...well. That didn't make Becket's attitude any more pleasant, but it explained a thing or two. He wasn't happy with the blond Sentinel, not by a long shot...but attitudes could change. And he knew just how to do that, in Becket's case. He sighed. Both boys needed a kick in the ass, if he was completely honest. That, and a chance to talk. Well...he still didn't approve. But he knew, regardless of whether he liked it or not, Chuck would do whatever he wanted to. And he had the damndest feeling that Chuck would want his Sentinel; kid was a damn perfectionist, so settling for someone else? Wouldn't happen.

Herc paused a moment, weighing his options. This was something Chuck needed to know. Especially as it was him, moreso, who was hurt by Becket's attitude. But telling him would be interfering, which was the one thing the head Guide had politely requested he refrain from doing.

_...their relationship is complicated enough at present. It would be appreciated if you would not interfere. Especially seeing as I will be conducting an investigation into who was Yancy Becket's doctor for his last drop, as he was not given his suppressants._

Just the sentence alone made his blood run cold. From what he could tell—and the head Guide, as well as Stacker suspected—whoever had been Yancy's doctor had done it on purpose. He'd fucked with not only the safety of Alaska and Canada but the health and safety of two pilots who's job was to defend them.

He frowned, then absently petted Max when the dog butted his head against his leg in a bid for affection.

He wouldn't tell his son. But he could keep his son away from Becket to give the Sentinel time to process this. And he had the perfect distraction.

"C'mon, Max."

The dog wuffed quietly, stubby tail wagging.

"We're goin' t'find Chuck."

The tail only wagged harder.

-x-x-x-x-

"You said to prove it." Chuck remarked after the three had taken over a table in the cafeteria.

"Yeah." Chance responded.

"...how?"

Chance facepalmed. "From what I heard, Becket told you himself."

Both Cor and Chuck stared at him.

"What? He said something along the lines of stop trying to use your strength to win, yeah?"

The redhead nodded.

"Well, duh. He's stronger than you; that's a fact. But you have skill. If you fight him more like Mori as opposed to the way you usually do, you'll hand him his ass so fast his head'll spin." Chance grumbled, then glanced to his Guide.

Cor made a face, but nodded.

"And you have a Sentinel punching bag to practice on, so long as you give me one more day to get recombobulated."

"...is that even a word?" The Aussie asked, face disgruntled.

"Is now!" Chance replied.

Cor sighed. "You get used to it."

An exited "wuff" accompanied by a skitter of claws on concrete caused them all to look up in time to see Max bound over and flop on Chuck's feet. Herc followed at a more sedate pace, carrying a tray of food.

"Boys." He greeted, then claimed one of the spare seats.

Chuck nodded a greeting before he went back to fussing over his dog. Cor frowned; the older Guide seemed very bothered by something. He looked to Chuck, who seemed oblivious; shrugged mentally, decided he'd bring it up later.

"So what's going on now?" Chance queried.

"Probably more bureaucratic bullshit." Herc muttered as he squished his mashed potatoes with a fork.

"...what happened?" Chuck looked up from Max, eyes on his dad.

Cor smothered a wince; guessed he'd need to give the younger Hansen more credit.

"I can't go into details. But there's an open investigation going on, in the death of at least one of the pilots." Herc supplied reluctantly.

"They were killed by a kaiju. One that's long dead. What kind of investigation can be conducted on that?" His son snarked back.

"The kind that the pilot was purposefully tampered with so it would affect not only them, but their copilot. The kind of tampering that might have directly caused their death." His father responded, eyes bleak.

The other three froze.

"...someone purposefully sabotaged a pilot?" Cor managed out.

"That's what we think. Thus the investigation." The older Guide replied, then shook his head. He couldn't say anymore or Chuck would figure out just who it was. And then he'd go storming off to find his Sentinel and that would only make things worse.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh closed the computer, put it back on his desk, threw himself on his bed and called himself every single curse he could think of, then made up a few. What Chuck had said, about Yancy? That had been beyond below the belt. But what Raleigh had said? Had been about on par with that and he hadn't even known it. Aside from questioning and refusing to acknowledge his Guide, he'd also reinforced the same ridiculous bullshit that Chuck—and his dad, too—had probably heard from day one.

Some of the things he'd read on the message boards made him simultaneously sick and angry; people called them freaks, abnormal, anomalies...and those were the kindest words used. And yet the Hansens had soldiered on, kept fighting, kept winning, even though the public—and Sentinels especially—had branded them with such horrible words and attitudes. No fucking wonder Chuck had lashed out. No wonder Herc had reacted as he did when he realized Raleigh was a Sentinel; he'd been expecting the very attitude Raleigh gave him and got it. In spades.

But it was worse, so very much worse, because _**he was Chuck's Sentinel**_. He was supposed to protect him, look out for him, support him—be there for him. And instead he'd taken the same tone, the same attitude that had probably been present all his life, dogged his steps even as he clawed his way to the top—and he'd made it his own and shoved it in his face.

No wonder Chance told him off. No wonder **Moira** told him off. No wonder the others were so sick of his attitude. Not liking Chuck for being a little shit to him; that they could understand, even if they didn't know why he'd behaved as he did. But treating him like every other Sentinel apparently had? They wouldn't stand for that and rightly so.

Raleigh had watched the videos of their fights. Every last one of them. And, yeah, they were a bit reckless. And, yeah, watching them, even now, knowing the danger was long gone, long over, still made Raleigh's pulse jump and his stomach drop, but...they knew what they were doing. They always had. And they fucking did it well. They'd had help, had assists, but what jaeger team hadn't?

He wanted to continue his research, find out what the hell was the deal between Sentinels and Guides but he was afraid. Afraid that he'd find biased information, information skewed by the same people who had treated the Hansens like shit and then take it as fact. And only fuck up further. Yeah, he wanted to know what the big deal about "a room" was.

He could guess there'd be sex involved, yeah, but...sex. What was the big deal? He'd had plenty of it. Well, not so much since coming online. The thought of sex with his senses out of control made him nauseous, but...now they were under control. So sex? Would actually be pleasurable. As long as he maintained control, anyway. Not that he wanted to have sex with Chuck. ...his instincts disagreed but he told them to shut the fuck up.

He didn't know the kid. He really didn't. He'd fucking proved as much by finding the sorest, weakest point in Chuck's aggressive-angry facade and curb stomping it not once, but twice. His gaze returned to the pamphlet. It'd mentioned bonding...but it hadn't mentioned what that entailed, exactly. Maybe sex and bonding were intertwined, somehow? It wouldn't be the strangest thing in the world...

One thing was for sure. He was in no fucking way an innocent, injured party. At all. He was just as bad as Chuck had been—possibly worse, even, because, while what Chuck said was horrible, he hadn't intended for Raleigh to hear. Well, the first time at least.

What he needed to do right now was finish calming the fuck down. Which meant he needed to meditate. And he wasn't stupid enough to do that on his own, especially not with the way his senses had been spiking. It was about the time Moira'd be having dinner, so he guessed he could try to find her. There was no way he'd ask Chuck. And Mako had Hu to worry about now. He didn't even want to think about how busy the head Guide must be. ...yeah, Moira it was.

She might also have an idea on why the damned things kept doing that. The internet had been no help.

-x-x-x-x-

Moira entered the cafeteria, smothering a sigh. At least from what she could tell, Mako and Hu were doing alright. Newt and the doctors Gottlieb also seemed content, despite being in a sort-of hidden room for their protection. Hell, Pentecost and Tendo were doing well compared to Raleigh and Chuck.

"Looking for Raleigh?" Chuck asked as she passed, carrying her tray.

She turned, about to snap at him, when she realized his tone wasn't the usual 'I'm being a shit, deal with it'. He was genuinely asking.

"Not exactly." She paused. "Why?"

Herc seemed to be trying to discreetly signal something, while Chance facepalmed and Cor made a zipping motion over his mouth.

What the fuck even...

"He stormed off."

"I'm aware."

"And I couldn't find him." The redhead admitted flatly.

"I'm also aware." She returned in an identical tone, then turned around and almost walked into a blue-sweatered chest. "...is that how it is? I say I'm not looking for you and then I'll trip over you?"

"That wasn't tripping." Raleigh mumbled.

"Figure of speech. Point?"

"Point." He grumbled, then drew her out of earshot of the other three. Or, he would have, if Chance wasn't a Sentinel.

The muscle in Chuck's jaw worked as he watched them.

Raleigh said something; Moira gaped, snapped back; the blond nodded sheepishly; she shoved the tray into his hands, then began to push him out of the cafeteria.

"Christ." Chance muttered and slammed his head down on the table. "Jesus fucking H. Christ on a cracker with a pogostick."

"...isn't that supposed to be the other way around?" Cor finally hazarded after several moments of silence.

"The last. Fucking. TIME. Becket-the-dumbfuck centered himself was a FUCKING. DAY. Before the the goddamn DROP." Chance seethed through clenched teeth.

The three Guides paled.

"Fuck." Chuck hissed.

Herc looked like had half a mind to go after them.

"He's new to the Sentinel thing, remember? Two months of training, that's it." Cor reminded them all. "That said, yes, Christ." He turned to Chuck. "You're gonna have your work cut out for ya, mate."

"...why did he go to her?" The redhead asked, eyes on the two who were almost at the door.

"Well, you two aren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment, are you?" Chance commented in between his repeated muttering of "Christ" and "fucking hell".

"So? I'm still his Guide; I'm supposed to fucking help with shit like that." Chuck growled.

"Like Chance said. Not on best terms. Besides, Moira's pretty calm at the moment; you aren't. He needs that, to center himself."

Chance paused, then let it go. Something told him now was not the time to remind his Guide that it was difficult to surprise his sister; she used her empathy the way Sentinels used their senses to keep tabs on those around her, had since they'd both come online that December morning.

Chuck scowled.

His father sighed. "Did you even bother with the Guide training offered?"

His son had no response aside from glaring at his plate.

Chance slammed his head down on the table again. "Wake me when the comedy of errors is over." He informed his Guide.

"Which one is Dromio and which is Antipholus?" Cor inquired, smirking.

"Goddamn everything." Was the extremely flat response.

-x-x-x-x-

As Cheung, Jin and Hu watched Mako point out the constellations, then tell some of the tales connected to them she knew, the two also observed their brother.

He seemed calmer; much better than the shaky, weak and beaten-looking brother they'd had to leave in Mako's—apparently capable—hands. They were also surprised that she was including them; wanted to include them. From what they had heard, most Guides disliked sharing their Sentinel.

Jin mentioned as much during a pause.

Mako blinked. "That is not true, not at all. And it would be the same if you two were Guides, even. Most Sentinels are able to tell when other Sentinels are related to their Guide and the reverse is true of Guides. It is why Cor does not mind Moira, no matter how close she is to her brother."

Cheung frowned. "So, that is an...instinct...as well?"

She nodded.

"...then why is Chance alright with Raleigh being close to Cor?"

Mako frowned. "That, I do not know. Perhaps his control is just better?"

"Tomorrow. We can begin training?" Hu interrupted.

The other two looked to Mako, who nodded.

-x-x-x-x-

"New quarters. Awesome!" Newt bounced in and began to explore.

Vanessa smiled and claimed one of the drawers, then began to put away the clothing she'd brought with her. Hermann merely took a seat on the bed, where he could keep an eye to both of his Sentinels. It was a relief, after so long, to have both here, both safe. He noticed that Vanessa was also keeping an eye on Newt, who was still happily exploring.

He wished he could remain as lighthearted, but he was too worried over what was most likely an attempt on Newt's life. While it was known the cultists who worshiped the kaiju disliked the jaeger programs and the PPDC in general, never before had they actually snuck in and tried to kill someone specifically. There had been some small incidents here and there—but they were random, to incite fear or cause destruction, not target a single person.

And while they were on guard now, prepared now...it shook him, how easily Newt could have been killed. And they would not have known until well after the fact. He knew Vanessa would be protective of Newt for the next few days, same as he would. He was glad the Marshal was giving them some time to fuss over Newt in private; were they in public right now, Vanessa would be on edge. Hermann, too, would not be relaxed, but a Sentinel with medical training uneasy and the slightest bit jumpy?

"This room is way better than our old one." Newt stated before joining Hermann on the bed.

He was no worse for wear now, though he'd spent the better part of the two days before uncomfortable, and—despite Hermann's help—very moody. Vanessa's arrival had helped some, but Newt had still been clearly out of sorts.

He supposed that was why the Marshal had reacted as he did. That was one positive thing he had to say for the man...he was very protective of his own, from tech to K-science to Ranger to everyone else. The man would make a good Sentinel...

As soon as he thought it, he dismissed it. Even if the Marshal was one, he would have to remain on suppressants for longer than could be healthy while things were settled so the PPDC didn't get stripped apart, piece by piece, and sold to the highest bidder. He shuddered, slightly, at how stressful the situation would be for him as well as any Guide who might be his.

Newt and Vanessa sandwiched him and, fairly quickly, he had other, more pleasurable things to think about.

He supposed reaffirming their bond was as important as claiming their new territory.

...for all he knew, his Sentinels considered this part of it.

-x-x-x-x-

Tendo and Stacker traded exhausted glances as they continued to go over paperwork. The head Guide entered and immediately loosed a wave of calming, soothing energy. Both sagged, tight muscles unlocking, as he brought the two mugs of tea he carried over.

"Saving the world is all very well, but not if you kill yourselves due to stress afterwards." He admonished.

Both looked down and accepted their tea without argument.

"That said." He produced a file. "I've found the one responsible. His name was Octavius. Dr. Nocens Octavius."

Tendo blanched before he managed out, "...the head Guide of the Icebox?!"

Stacker scowled. "Get me the Russians."

The head Guide sighed. "I will. Finish your tea first, both of you. And when did you last eat?"

Neither would meet his eyes as they silently sipped their tea.

He threw up his hands. "I used to wonder why my assistant swore so much. Now I fear I'll join her!" He stalked off in the direction of the cafeteria, then returned with a tray full of food. "Now eat!"

Pentecost looked up, about to remind the head Guide who the Marshal was here, but closed his mouth and started on the food when the shorter man gave him a "you might be the Marshal but **I** am the one in charge of keeping Sentinels and Guides healthy and YOU are under that purview, like it or not" look. He stood over them, made sure they ate, then swept out to go find the Russians.

"...I used to wonder where Tech Rowan got it from." Tendo remarked quietly.

"No wonderin'. I knew." Stacker replied with a sigh.

-x-x-x-x-

"...da?" Sasha inquired of the head Guide, who stood chatting with her husband.

"The Marshal would like to see you both."

They nodded, but inwardly began plotting their escape if need be. They had already decided they would not return to Russia; they wanted to live somewhere they would be left in peace.

"Rangers." Pentecost greeted after the head Guide left.

They nodded.

"I was wondering if your network extended to humans?" There was a tone in his voice that made the hair on both their necks stand on end.

"It may." Sasha stated. "Why?"

"A doctor may have tampered with Yancy Becket prior to his last drop. That tampering might well have been what caused Raleigh to come online as well as Yancy's demise."

Both stared at him, faces blank but horror visible to those who knew them, as Tendo and Stacker both did.

"I want to find him. And I want to have a little chat with him. Would this be possible?"

"We will make it possible." Aleksis growled; Sasha nodded.

"Also." He murmured as they were about to leave to do so. "When you joined up, you became autonomous citizens of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. You do not have to return to Russia and they have no rights, legal or otherwise, to coerce you to return."

Both stared at him, in shock this time.

Tendo grinned. "The 'Domes are considered our 'country', as is the land they're on. Sydney's reopening, China's government has acknowledged and okayed our sovereignty of this 'Dome. Even if we don't get Vladivostok back, I'm about ninety percent sure we'll get Anchorage. So if you still prefer the cold..."

"You may transfer there. The HQ, as it is, will either be here or in Sydney, most likely. But you two are free to move as you see fit." Stacker added.

"...The Anchorage one was sold to a buyer. A private one." Sasha remarked.

Stacker smiled. "His name's Alan Johnson. Sound familiar?"

"...Vanya's father?" Aleksis guessed.

"Grandfather, but yes." A man who looked to be in his mid-60s entered. "Stacker, old friend. It's been quite some time."

Pentecost rose and shook the man's hand; Tendo did the same.

"Here to check in on your grandchildren?"

The man smiled. "And meet this Guide of my grandson's I've heard so much of. Also, to let you know you've my backing, plus quite a few others. The suits wouldn't say so, but a third of the Senate disagreed with defunding the jaeger program. Sooner or later, your Dr. Gottlieb's research will get out, if it hasn't already. And those who voted to rid the world of jaegers? Will be removed from power, rather quickly. Australia is just the beginning."

"...we aren't trying to stage a world coup, right?" Tendo asked tentatively.

"No, we are not." Alan replied. "That sort of thing never ends well, anyway. You need only look to the past to see that. No, there will just be a period of upheaval for the foreseeable future. Which is why I am going to urge you to proceed carefully. And to consider moving the HQ to Alaska, which is much more easily defended."

Stacker nodded. "I will consider it."

Alan nodded, then shook hands with the Kaidanovskys. "Cherno's pilots, yes? Very impressive, both of you. Thank you for your service." The man bowed his head to them, then swept out as quickly as he had entered.

"...one of your mystery backers." Sasha murmured.

"One of." Stacker confirmed. "He's also the head of the newly re-established PR department. So get used to him, if you intend to stick around."

"What are the plans?"

"So far? Give all the pilots, yourselves included, at least a week to rest. Let some of the celebration calm a bit. Then give interviews, but only those who can survive the PR department's wrath will be permitted to do so. From there? Finish dealing with accounting, who now have enough funds that every single member of the PPDC has a retirement fund, plus the funds to run at least three Shatterdomes for the next two years...and then start relocating, if the HQ moves. One of the 'Domes will become a museum, one the HQ with an expanded science complex. The other will be where at least three new jaegers will be commissioned and built. The breach is closed for now, but we do not know if that wiped them all out."

"So there will still be jaegers."

Pentecost nodded.

"We will stick around." Sasha informed him. "But first—the doctor."

"He is not worthy of the title." Aleksis argued as they both left.

Tendo sighed. "Things are going to get more complicated, aren't they?"

"Saving the world is rarely a simple business." Pentecost replied before he picked up his next pile of paperwork. "At the end of the week, however, Dr. Gottlieb is to join us temporarily, as is the head Guide."

"So four people instead of two for ridiculous piles of paperwork. Fair enough."

"If Dr. Gottlieb comes, both of his Sentinels will." The Marshal reminded him.

"...six is better. Much better. But I'm hiding the coffee."

-x-x-x-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -In case anyone was wondering, no, no one ever sleeps around the 'Dome. Ever. Sleeping is for people who don't have worlds to save. Only. Now. World is saved. How do sleep?
> 
> -Shit. I FAIL. I FORGOT MAX. *hastily throws him into the story*
> 
> -On that note, diving for cover and not coming out until tomorrow. And making an organizer. No, really.


	3. Cue the Training Montage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Russians/The Science Trio/The Administration Gang are off screen most of the chapter.
> 
> Chuck, Herc, Chance and Cor are training.  
> As are Hu, Mako, Jin, Cheung, Raleigh and Moira.
> 
>  ~~There is absolutely no way this is gonna end well.~~  
> 
> Herc is a smart cookie; Chuck is nowhere near as knowledgeable as he seems; Chance and Cor are the fluffiest motherfuckers ever even if Cor will deny it to death; Raleigh needs to work on the sleeping thing; Hu is surprisingly not horrible at the meditating thing; Mako is patient and the best teacher ever; Moira is group mom; Jin and Cheung aren't too sure what to make of all this but it's interesting at least; Alan is worse than Herc oh yes he is and I'm not talking about the being a smart cookie.

-x-x-x-x-

"Christ." Moira muttered as she settled down next to him and began to help him meditate. "When was the last time you actually practiced?"

"...before the double event..." Raleigh admitted softly, then ducked his head as exasperation rolled over him. 

"You." She informed him. "Are a mess."

"...yeah." He agreed.

She sighed. "I can't blame you, not right now. But..."

"Mako will skin me alive. Once she finds out what I said. What I did." He opened his eyes, met hers. "Surprised you haven't."

"I couldn't beat you with that damn toothpick anyway." Moira said. "Anyway. Lets get you calmed and centered, alright? Then we can talk."

He nodded, closed his eyes and began to clear his mind.

Forty minutes later, he felt like a new person, almost. A quiet sigh of relief escaped him.

"Better?" 

"Much." He murmured. "There...was something else."

"Aside from centering yourself?" She prodded, before splitting the food on the tray with him.

He paused, hesitated. "Yeah. Whenever I'm near Chuck, I...can't control my senses. It just...everything goes haywire and I can't stop it."

"That's..." She paused, trying to recall if that was something she'd heard of. "...yeah, we need to go talk to the head Guide."

He winced. "Can we just..." He trailed off, letting his tired blue eyes meet hers.

She wavered, then sighed. "We can sit and eat. For now."

He offered her a small smile.

She huffed at him and grumbled about blue-eyed pretty boys.

-x-x-x-x-

Cor glanced at Herc before he returned his attention to Chuck. "Does this mean you'll be needing a teacher?"

Herc's gaze drifted to his son.

Chuck nodded stiffly. 

"Y'willin' to share teachin' duty?" Herc asked.

Cor nodded. "Yeah, not a problem. It helps to have more than one teacher, anyway."

The redhead glared at his dad. "What d'you know about bein' a Guide?"

"Unlike you, when I went to school, if you were a Guide, you got trained. It was mandatory." He made a face. 

"So. Wait. Do you still wanna spar with me too or no?" Chance questioned, having calmed slightly from his 'nope that's it I'm done going to Canada GOOD DAY YOU IDIOTS' freak out.

Herc smirked. "Who says he can't do both?"

Chuck eyed the three of them and wondered just what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

-x-x-x-x-

Mako, Hu, Jin and Cheung snuck some food from the kitchens and retreated to the smaller, currently empty, mess hall.

"This is...much better." Hu murmured as they claimed a small, rarely used table.

Mako smiled. "It was designed to accommodate Sentinels." 

"Is that why we didn't know it was here?" Jin questioned as he nibbled his food.

"Probably." Cheung responded as he looked around.

"Training..." Hu began, then paused, unsure of how to word it.

She placed a hand on his arm. "Relax. It is fine. If...it is alright with you, I would like for Raleigh to join us. He can demonstrate what he has learned and can continue to do so, alongside you."

"Would you be working with him?" Hu's voice was calm but he'd tensed.

"No, I would ask Moira to do that." 

He nodded.

She smiled. "Good."

The four made short work of their meals, then threw out the trash and made sure the dishes ended up back in the food prep area.

"...now what?"Jin asked.

"Now we find Raleigh and Moira and arrange training." Mako stated and led the way towards Raleigh's room.

She paused a moment after knocking and did not go in after Raleigh answered the door; Hu tensed, glaring at the other Sentinel but did not move in front of Mako.

"Uhhhh." Moira mumbled as she glanced between the two Sentinels. "How 'bout we take this to a more neutral territory, eh?"

"What did you have in mind?" Raleigh questioned as he kept a disinterested eye on Hu.

"My room. It's down the hall and to the left."

Both Sentinels considered it, then nodded and all trooped down the hall to Moira's room.

"...has something happened?" Mako asked once everyone was settled comfortably.

Raleigh quietly explained almost everything and added, yes, he was aware of how much of a dick he'd been. Mako nodded, but for now left off scolding him.

"So what brings you lot to our neck of the woods, anyway?" Moira asked as she dug around for something.

"Training."

Moira and Raleigh looked at one another, then back to Mako.

"Training?" Raleigh repeated.

"For me." Hu supplied reluctantly.

"Oh." The blond murmured. "I'm the demonstration dummy?" He glared at Moira when a pillow bounced off his shoulder. "I'm not saying I'm an idiot."

"You're thinking it, though."

Mako shook her head; the triplets watched, both amused and slight fascinated, by the snarky-yet-friendly interaction between the Sentinel and the Guide.

"...you two have no interest in bonding?" Hu questioned during a silent moment.

"Firstly, no. Secondly, NO. Thirdly, I like living." Moira rattled off.

Raleigh grinned ruefully. "I'm...still working things out. And not interested. No offense."

"All of the offense in the world, Becket." Came the tart response.

He threw the pillow back at her in lieu of a verbal reply.

Hu watched, surprised. From what he'd seen and heard, Sentinels and Guides were stiff and proper with one another. To see a non-bound pair mess around in the way friends or siblings would...and his own Guide smiling, like this was a normal occurrence...it was unexpected, but good. It gave him hope that many of the things he'd heard, things he'd seen, were not how it always was.

Moira let out a quiet "yessss" and pulled out a jar of candies, then offered them to the group at large. Hu scowled, as he wasn't sure candy would be a good idea.

"Grab one of the white wrappered ones." Raleigh told him, snagging one. "They're specially made for Sentinels."

"Yep." Moira nodded. "I also have other stuff for training. Guess we'll need to reopen the training center, huh?"

Mako blinked. "There is one here?"

"Oh aye." She grinned, bitterly. "I was informed we didn't need t' reopen it for 'just one measly Sentinel' by one of the med techs." 

"Really?" Mako murmured.

"Yeah. They'd appropriated it for storage. An' now I'm gonna tell 'em to move their shit, we've got two Sentinels to train." The other Guide grumbled.

"So there is a spot...?" Raleigh murmured. "I'd come across a mentioning of that kind of place online but..."

"Online?" Jin interrupted.

"I...did some research." The blond admitted after a few moments. "Figured it was time to stop relying on others to tell me what I should've looked up to begin with." He turned to Moira. "And what's this about two?"

"You know how to turn your senses down and up. But we didn't have time to teach you how to truly use them." Mako explained.

"I'll make sure I find my supplies." Moira mumbled as she continued to poke through her things. "My brother an' I made training into a game. So I normally keep stuff around."

Hu smiled, slightly. "This sounds...fun."

"It should be." Raleigh murmured.

"It is." Mako confirmed with a grin. Only, all present could see it was mischievous. Hu looked to Raleigh, who seemed just as nervous, now.

-x-x-x-x-

"Hm." Chance muttered.

"What?" Cor asked as he prodded at his own helping of lumpy mashed potatoes.

"Wondering why there's no training center here. Last I checked, all 'Domes have 'em." Chance replied.

"There should be one." Herc commented. "All of the 'Domes do have one."

Chuck scowled. "We have a Kwoon."

"Uh, not the right kinda training center." Cor muttered. "There's a Sentinel-specific training center. It's sound-proof, among other things. And makes a good meditation spot, plus training in general." He paused, then smiled slightly. "Think your sister still has some of those things she used?"

"Oh, y'mean our 'game' training?" Chance grinned. "Yeah, probably. She's also probably gotten dragged into helpin' Hu and is still helpin' Raleigh, so she'll know where her stuff is. Or find it soon."

"She's helpin' Becket. After what he said." Herc repeated flatly.

"Oh yes. I'm not saying she didn't rip into him for it, but...she's still gonna help him. Firstly, it's her job. Secondly, she's well aware of what it's like for Sentinels without training; we were pretty much glued at the hip when I came online, let alone when I started training." He paused, eyes distant. "She has more insight into what it's like, then, than your average Guide....that said, I'm pretty sure between Mori an' her, he'll learn the error of his ways."

"Just Mori and Moira?" Cor repeated, smirking.

"Okay, fine, you all will hand him his ass. Whatever. Either way, he'll learn. And that's the important part."

"Learning is always a good thing, yes."

Chance spun around, to find an older man approaching, smiling slightly.

"Grandda!" He was out of his seat and pulling the man into a hug before the others could blink. 

The older man chuckled and returned the hug. "It's good to see you, m'boy. I am so proud."

Chance, grinning, ducked his head. "Thanks." He realized the three Guides were staring. Blankly. "Oh, shit, right. Grandda, this is Herc Hansen, his son Chuck Hansen and Chance Cordus. Guys, this is my grandda, Alan Johnson."

"...aren't you the one who bought the Icebox?" Herc questioned warily.

"I am indeed!" Alan responded, grinning. "I've been keeping everything in working order, should the Marshal decide to relocate headquarters there."

"...no." Chance remarked flatly. "Just. No. I'll stay here or in Sydney."

"Anywhere but the Icebox." Cor agreed.

Alan looked to Cor. "You must be the Guide I've heard so much of."

Herc and Chuck bristled, but Cor just smirked. "Surely some of it was good?"

"You fought alongside my grandson, so you had to be good." The older man murmured before firmly shaking his hand. "And for the record, Chance, I'm not here to ask your sister if she's interested in finding a Sentinel, so you can stop glaring."

Chance nodded stiffly before he pulled a chair over for his grandfather.

"No, no, I'm not here to interrupt. I have work to do; I just wanted to check in with the two of you first. And meet your Guide." Alan inclined his head in Cor's direction. "Now that I've spoken with you, I just have to find Moira."

"Gogogogogo!" Hissed a familiar voice as Jin, Mako and Moira skidded into view, then ran in through the doorway. "Base!" Moira yelled before glomming onto Chance; Mako and Jin latched onto her.

Raleigh, Cheung and Hu appeared in the doorway, then paused to catch their breath.

"What...the fuck?" Raleigh managed out as he gaped at the three.

Mako and Moira high-fived, then high-fived Jin.

"We told you not to underestimate Guides." Mako reminded him.

"...Jin's an honorary Guide." Moira stated, then laughed.

"Is this how we'll be breaking up for tomorrow?" Hu asked after he exchanged looks with Raleigh.

"I like these teams. Mako?"

She nodded; Jin just smirked. "I'm sticking with the winners, thanks."

Cheung stuck his tongue out at him. 

"Moira." Alan greeted with a small smile.

"Grandda." She responded stiffly. "At any rate, water bottles. Onward!"

Mako took the hint and led the other four to collect them.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"To see your brother and you. And because I'm to be PR manager."

"Congrats." Was the stiff response. "Anyway, I'd best get a move on before they mutiny. Later." With that, she followed the other five to assist with the water bottles.

"...she's still angry, isn't she?"

Chance just smiled tightly. "What ever gave you that idea?"

Alan shook his head. "I'll be keeping the vultures away for a week and a half. After that, we'll have to start granting interviews."

"In more concise terms: you have a week and a half to get your shit together. Do it." Chance sighed.

Alan made a face but didn't correct his grandson. "We'll have to have lunch together sometime."

Chance nodded. "But don't expect Moira to come."

"I shan't." The older man sighed before nodding a goodbye, then heading for his office. He had interview requests to start sorting through.

-x-x-x-x-

"All Rangers report to medical. I repeat, all Rangers report to medical!"

Moira looked up from stockpiling their water bottles and raised an eyebrow at the others. "When did you get released from medical again?"

"Uh. We didn't?" Raleigh murmured, sheepishly.

"You are so fucked." 

"They're med techs; they took an oath to do no harm. How bad could it be?" The blond grumbled as he led the way back.

"They are med techs. They get creative." Mako mumbled.

"Like I said: you're fucked." Moira repeated.

"Why are you coming?" Jin queried as they approached the door.

"Because I'm gonna tell 'em to move their shit before I do it. And remind them that we have two Sentinels to train now." She responded, then ducked when the med techs pounced on them all.

Hu and Raleigh didn't even have time to snarl, let alone lash out.

"...told you." Moira muttered as all were dragged to beds. She could tell that Herc, Chuck, Chance and Cor were already here; the Kaidanovskys were sneaky and good at it, so they most likely had avoided being caught. The Vulcan pilots hadn't been well enough to join what she assumed had been a mass exodus earlier.

"And you're here...?" One of the med techs asked.

"To ask that the things in storage be moved. We need that room for training, as there are now two Sentinels."

The tech sighed, then motioned two or three others over. "Would you be willing to help?"

"Yeah, no problem." Moira responded. The tech looked startled, but smiled; a friendly conversation began as the four headed for the Sentinel Training Room.

The "room" was actually more of a miniature complex. The main area, the largest, was a Kwoon built to withstand the destructive might of Sentinels; it was also constructed with their needs in mind and the materials used had no particular scent, nor would they absorb and hold any. Small offshoots from the main area led to a tiny kitchen, complete with a fridge (it was this they'd purloined the water bottles for); a small locker room area with showers and a bathroom; a meditation room; and a supply closet, which was stocked with a special organic and scentless cleaning solution, among other things.

After the four shunted all of the medical gear to a nearby room, then locked it, Moira surveyed the dusty, badly-in-need of a severe going-over room and sighed quietly. Training really did need to start (Hu) or resume (Raleigh) as soon as possible. 

"We'll help." One of the med techs offered.

She blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Sooner this place is cleaned out, sooner the pilots will head here. Which means they won't be in medical and pulling pranks because they got bored." One of the other techs supplied with an roll of their eyes.

"It's normally the triplets that start it. But they go and pull pranks on the Kaidanovskys, which..."

"Escalates things?" She suggested as they all got to work.

"Quickly." The same med tech continued. "And then the Hansens get dragged in and it just all goes to hell."

"Do I wanna...?" Moira began, then paused.

"Do you know how many poisonous species live in Australia? And how easy it is for the Saviors of the South to get their hands on them?" 

She winced.

"No one's ever been seriously hurt, thankfully. But there was a close call with that damn lowland copperhead."

"...copperhead?" Moira squeaked.

"Yes. It's the seventh most venomous snake in Australia. I looked it up." Another tech responded sourly.

"Christ." She mumbled as they worked their way through cleaning up the front half of the Sentinel-Kwoon. "Remind me never to piss either of them off. ...more than I already have, anyway."

That drew chuckles.

"No worries. The Marshal banned all wildlife from Australia, sans Max, after the copperhead incident. They still have the use of plants, though. So watch what you eat."

"Ugh." She muttered as they all laughed again. "So the rivalries get pretty fierce, huh?"

"Isn't your brother one of the Echo pilots?"

"He is, but I've never really socialized with them much when they're around other pilots. And Raleigh and Mako are the first pilots I've socialized with on a regular basis. Unless my bro and I are in the same 'Dome, it's normally bi-weekly emails and that's it."

One of them sighed. "We're all so damn clique-y."

"Well. You guys spend most of your time around your fellow med techs, barring when someone gets injured badly enough, yeah? And prior to being shipped to the Guide-office, I was mostly in the company of my fellow jaeger techs. Pilots mostly deal with themselves and trainees. The way everything's set up makes everyone so insular. Not saying it's a good thing but that's part of the reason at least..."

"Yeah. Maybe we can do something about that..." One of them remarked.

"We might wanna get the therapists on board. I'm sure they'll be happy with the idea, though."

"Agreed."

Further talk of the idea and how to break apart the cliques continued well into the rest of the cleaning. Thankfully, between the four of them, it didn't take that long; soon all rooms were clean, though they'd need the night to dry.

"Awesome." Moira stated with a grin. "Thanks, guys!"

"No problem." One of them yawned. "At any rate, if you're training tomorrow..."

"I ought to hit the hay, yeah. On my way back to my room!" She responded, hands held up in an "I surrender" pose.

The techs chuckled, then waved as she hurried off.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh was dragged into the med bay, tensing as he neared what he knew was Chuck's bed. When he got within about five feet, touch dialed up; he smothered a hiss, then relaxed as it dialed back down. He measured the distance between himself and Chuck's approximate location; a little over five feet. 

...huh. Interesting.

"Here." The med tech grumbled and pushed him into a room.

"I thought these were only for bonding...?" Raleigh mumbled.

"They most certainly are not!" Snapped the tech before they slammed the door.

He winced. Well, if bonding and sex were related, he could guess why they'd snapped at him, at least... A small sigh escaped him as he surveyed the boring room. There was literally nothing to do, which was probably on purpose but...he wasn't tired.

Okay, that was a lie. He was exhausted, despite the earlier grounding/focusing Moira'd helped him with. His senses spiking were tiring in and of themselves; add in two arguments with the man supposed to be his Guide and it was honestly surprising he was still awake. But, he still had insomnia. And exhaustion was not a magical fix for it anymore than his Guide had been (though he'd admit, if pressed, that he had slept well last night). Raleigh also had a feeling that if he tried to exercise, he'd get yelled at and possibly sedated, neither of which he was in the mood for.

He sighed again, then flopped on the bed and hoped he'd drift off soon. If not, training would be hell tomorrow.

-x-x-x-x-

Hu yawned softly before he cuddled into Mako, then stiffened.

She offered him a small smile. "It is fine."

He nodded, but was still tense. While he knew and had spoken to Mako prior to this whole thing, he still felt like he was being overly forward. Add in the fact that she was the Marshal's daughter...it was a wonder he still had all his parts attached.

"Relax." She murmured and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Sentinels crave physical contact, especially with their Guide. We have not had much for a few hours..."

"Which is why I am glued to you now." Hu grumbled.

"We didn't do it!" Jin called from the bed next to them; Cheung snorted.

Hu looked like he wasn't sure whether to yell back or pull the blankets over his head. Mako bit her lip to hide her smile; it seemed like training would be interesting, if nothing else.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck glowered at the wall, displeased even though the med techs had caved and allowed Max not only in the infirmary but on Chuck's bed itself.

"You 'n Becket need to talk." Herc supplied reluctantly.

His son ignored him, but clenched his jaw.

"That's why they didn't bring 'im to you." He continued. "One of 'em reviewed the tapes, most like."

"I know." He gritted out. "But I can't **do that** when all the fucker does is run away from me." He met his dad's look with flat one of his own.

Herc frowned. Sentinels were notorious for not backing down when angered; that was why he'd had to be the one to step back, to cede, when Becket had rounded on him earlier. For a Sentinel to not only back out of a confrontation but flee the scene entirely? That was strange. Which meant something else was going on. He smothered a sigh. His son would end up with the most difficult Sentinel Herc had ever met, bar his own.

"What?" Chuck snapped.

"Sentinels—"

"I know it's not normal." His son interrupted. "I was never interested but I did pay attention."

The older Aussie shook his head. They'd get to the bottom of this sooner or later. And at the moment, he'd prefer later, as all he wanted right now was to sleep.

-x-x-x-x-

Cor stared up at the ceiling blankly. On one hand, he wanted to know. He really did. On the other, if all he found was that his entire family was dead? He wasn't sure he'd want to know that; better to just wonder than to have it confirmed he was the last of them alive. With the injuries he'd had when he was saved, he'd be surprised if any of them were alive, though.

The surgeons had had to reconstruct his face; the damage to his legs had been so severe he'd ended up at least an inch or two shorter than he'd been to start with. In spite of this, he and those who treated him had no clue what had caused them. So he'd taken to wearing colored contacts, and dyed his hair, which he'd grown out quite a bit. He'd also made a point to—since they'd been stationed in Australia after all—get a tan. 

He was none too sure what he looked like to start with—having mush for a face would do that—but he was willing to bet no one who'd known him before would recognize him now. And while he did like it that way to an extent...he still couldn't help but wonder. Which brought him right back to wanting to know, but not, because he'd no idea if they were still alive. And if he was the last of his family, he didn't want to know.

Chance nuzzled him, then pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Am I keeping you up?" He murmured.

"Nah." His Sentinel responded with a sleepy grin.

"Go to sleep, you sap."

Chance nuzzled him again. "Will when you will."

He couldn't help but smile slightly and, again, thank his lucky star that he had this man in his life. He had no idea where he'd be without him—if he'd even be alive—but he knew even if he was alive, he wouldn't have made it as far as he had without the unconditional love and support he received from Chance.

Cor surrounded him with a gentle, empathic hug.

That earned him a wider, but still sleepy, grin. "Love you too."

Cor ducked his head slightly, but they'd been through this too many times for him to blush anymore. ...well, much.

Chance just chuckled softly and pressed another kiss to his forehead.

He sighed softly before he rolled over and curled up on top of his Sentinel. Sleep was still a necessity. And he could always continue to think about this later...the war was over; he was in no rush. He fell asleep to the sensation of fingers gently carding through his hair and the knowledge that there was nowhere else his Sentinel would rather be.

-x-x-x-x-

After a very thorough and extremely irritating checkup, Raleigh was permitted to leave the room. He finally had fallen asleep but it seemed like mere minutes later he was being woken by the tech who'd then not endeared themselves to him with the ensuing checkup. 

"Be sure not to come back now, y'all." The tech called as he headed for the door.

He flipped the man off without any hesitation and was about to pause at where Mako and Hu were, but saw Chuck out of the corner of his eye. The angry Aussie looked to be about done with his own thoroughly annoying checkup; he also looked like he was of a mind to approach Raleigh.

Tired, in need of being grounded/centered (again) and not sure he could handle his senses spiking (again), he told Mako and Hu he'd meet them later and got the hell out of there.

He missed Mako's frown, Hu's questioning look and the frowns exchanged by the Hansens.

"...why did Raleigh leave?" Jin asked as the four made their way towards the Sentinel-complex. 

Mako frowned. "I am not sure. But I will find out."

The tone in her voice made Hu very, very glad he had yet to piss her off. He hoped to keep it that way and, judging by the looks his siblings exchanged, they agreed.

-x-x-x-x-

Moira entered the Sentinel-complex, breakfast and coffee in hand, and almost dropped both.

"...Raleigh?"

"Mmf." The Sentinel replied from his spot on the ground in front of the door.

"Dude, you have to move. Elsewise you'll get stepped on."

He grumbled, but moved to one side. She sighed, knelt and helped him re-center himself, then offered him half of her breakfast sandwich.

"...thanks." He mumbled before he hurriedly ate it; he hadn't realized just how hungry he was until now.

She shook her head at him. "You gotta get yer own coffee, though."

At that, he managed a small smile.

"You kinda look like you could use some more sleep. C'mon." She prodded him until he got up, then showed him the room used for meditation; she was hard put not to laugh at his expression, which was that of one who had just discovered Nirvana. "I'll nab you a blanket and you can sit out this morning's training. But you'll rejoin us for afternoon, yeah?"

He nodded before flopping down on the soft, plush mat and sighing happily.

She chuckled, then threw the blanket on top of him. He happily burrito'd in it and was out within moments. Moira shook her head, smothering another smile, before she left to greet the other four.

"Where is Raleigh?"

"Sleeping." Moira jerked her thumb in the direction of the meditation room.

Hu made a face. "Why is it so silent in here?"

"Soundproofing." Mako stated, then frowned at the door to the meditation room.

"He'll join us for lunch. I don't think he slept well, if at all." She supplied.

The other Guide sighed, but nodded. "I will talk to him then. Could you take over for Jin and Cheung?"

"Surely. But first. Did you all eat?"

They all looked away or down; she threw up her hands and stalked off in the direction of the kitchens.

-x-x-x-x-

"Y'know, if you glare any harder at your breakfast, you'll light it on fire." Chance commented as he and Cor slid into the seats across the table from Chuck.

The redhead gave Chance a look that had Cor fearing for flying cutlery.

"Calm down." Herc commanded as he took the seat next to Chuck.

"He's fucking avoiding me. Again. And you're telling me to be calm?"

His father sighed. When Raleigh had left, he'd noticed that the boy had made a point not to come close to Chuck—not within about five feet. He'd an idea as to why that was. It wasn't common knowledge—at least not amongst those who hadn't been dealing with Sentinels as long as he had—but there were quite a few oddities that cropped up. One was that a Sentinel's senses would go haywire around their Guide unless the two were touching. The theory behind the cause of this was that the Sentinel lacked the imprint on their Guide, so their senses tried to rectify that. Herc was fairly sure that was what had happened here but he also did not want to ask his son if Raleigh had imprinted him. For starters, his son would have no idea what it was and, honestly, he did not want to explain that over breakfast. Especially not with Chance and Cor sitting there; the two would probably snicker, which would make his son flustered and more likely to storm off than listen.

"Yeah, I am." He eventually responded. "Eat yer food."

Chuck looked like he had half a mind to not eat, just to spite his father, but his stomach chose that moment to growl audibly. He hastily resumed eating as Chance and Cor hid smiles.

"So you guys are free, now?"

"Oh aye. No thanks to you!" Chance griped.

"I'm a Guide, not a medical professional. I can't sign you out anymore'n grandda could." Moira responded tartly as she swept past and made for the food line.

"Weren't you already in here?" Cor called.

"I was. Mako and the idiots three weren't."

Chance choked on his coffee; Cor had to pound his back until he finished aspirating his drink.

She yawned as she exited, carrying a tray of breakfast sandwiches. "I need more coffee." She grumbled; Chance mutely passed her his cup and then patted her arm.

Moira raised an eyebrow but sent an empathic hug her brother's way before she headed back out.

He sighed and shook his head before he stole some water from Cor.

"So. Training." Herc stated.

Chuck tensed, then tried to act like he hadn't; he decided to slip some food to Max to try to play it off. The look he got from Cor told him his deflection had failed and failed spectacularly.

"In the Kwoon, I guess." Chance muttered, then made a face. "Ugh. It always smells like feet."

"They clean it twice daily." Chuck grumbled.

"Still smells like feet. That or bleach." The Sentinel made a "blech" face.

"If it smells like bleach, we'll have to wait." Cor stated, eyes on Chance.

"B—"

"No buts. We just escaped medical; we are not going back in there because you wanna play macho." 

"We can still do Guide training." Herc cut in.

"Assuming Kwoon's busy or bleachy, where would we do that?" Chance asked.

"Our room should be big enough." Chuck said as he snuck another tidbit to Max.

Chance, Herc and Cor simultaneously sighed; they had their work cut out for them.

"What?" The youngest snapped.

"Okay. Lemme explain you a thing." The Sentinel stated. "I know Raleigh doesn't use his senses often, let alone like a 'normal' Sentinel. But let's say for argument's sake, he does. And he smells me on you. What, exactly, do you think a Sentinel is gonna do when he smells another on his unbound Guide?"

Chuck gave him a flat look. "I didn't say cuddle with my fucking bed or roll around in my clothes."

"I don't have to." Chance retorted. "Just being in your room is enough for my scent to get on all of your things, including your bed and your clothes. Once would be fine, but repeated visits would cause my scent to start to mingle with yours. Which would cause Raleigh to go from whatever state he was in to homicidal, like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis. "And the same would happen if you went into Cor and I's room; you'd start to pick up our scent. Cor's wouldn't bother him, but mine still would."

The younger redhead made a face.

Herc wished, not for the first time, he'd had more of a hand in his son's upbringing. If he had, maybe things would be less complicated now.

"Why don't we go to the tech hangout?" Cor suggested.

"Tech hangout?" Chuck repeated.

"Yeah, the techs took a spare room and stuffed it full of cushions and shit. It's where they go to crash if they've pulled too many all-nighters. That said, they keep it really clean and the cushions all have coverings that are changed often."

"How come you know about this place and I don't?" Chance sulked.

"Because you'd've flipped your shit if you knew that's where Moira slept more often than her room."

Chance couldn't even deny it, because he snapped his fork as soon as what Cor said registered. "...point." He mumbled as he fiddled with the broken fork.

Cor grinned, then shook his head. "Anyway, either we can use theirs or make our own."

Herc nodded. "Our own would be best."

"More scent shit?" Chuck grumbled.

Chance facetabled. "We have the anti-Sentinel and the anti-Guide. No fucking wonder this isn't working."

Cor sighed. "I can understand why you're the way you are. But I can also guess why Raleigh's the way he is."

"Because he's an asshole?"

The look Cor gave Chuck was pointed and also said he knew damn well Chuck was hurt and confused and that's why he kept handing out insults like they were candy and it was Halloween.

"Most Sentinels who want to coddle Guides mercilessly do so because they genuinely think Guides are incapable of little more than meditation and being a normal human. However, there are some who want to protect them vehemently because something happened to a Guide and they could do nothing. Considering Raleigh's tune is already partially changed...I'm gonna go with the latter as opposed to the former." Cor stated. 

Chance raised his head. "Didn't Pentecost only manage to get him off the wall because he implied more Guides would be out in jaegers if he didn't?"

The other three gaped at Chance.

"What?" Herc managed out.

"...that's. What I heard." The Sentinel mumbled.

"That could be part of the reason we're having problems now." Herc remarked in a bland tone.

Chuck just muttered curses under his breath. All present were fairly sure who they were directed at but decided to let it go for now.

-x-x-x-x-

"So..." Jin mumbled.

"Eat." Came the very flat response as Moira entered and placed the tray in front of them. She joined them on the mat, sipping her coffee.

Cheung grinned. "Mother henning us?"

Mako glanced at the other Guide, not sure that comment would be taken well. All Guides in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, despite the best anti-discrimination clause possible, still had to deal with hecklers. Or those who thought they should be the closest equivalent to barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. She, herself, had quite a few people who'd told her to her face that she did not belong because she was a Guide; she should go join the kitchen staff or go back to where she'd come from. Even after it got out that Pentecost was her father, some still went out of their way to bait or mock her.

Thankfully, most of those people were gone now. They'd left as the PPDC had lost funding and been down-scaled. Those that had remained learned, quickly, that none of the Guides here would tolerate their shit. It had still taken time and repeated demonstrations of skill, but most had either made their peace with it or learned to keep their mouth shut. That said, many had still had to deal with that backwards and poisonous attitude. Some were a bit more sensitive to comments because of it.

"Apparently someone has to, since you all skipped breakfast." Was the tart reply; she made a face at them over the top of her coffee cup.

Mako relaxed slightly. "Thank you." 

"Someone's gotta make sure you don't all get scurvy or something." Moira responded but her little half-smile said she knew what Mako had been thinking.

Jin frowned. "Is there actually a thing with Guides and wanting to look after people or is that another stereotype?"

Mako frowned; Moira made a face.

"To be honest? That's one I'm not one hundred percent sure on. Most Guides are raised and expected to look after others, so it might be nurture over nature. But, again, since most are raised that way...it's hard to find one who hasn't been. So, jury's still out there." 

Mako shook her head, slightly amused. "Perhaps this would be the best way to deal with them, though."

"Have us ask instead of assume?" Cheung offered.

Both nodded.

"It is better to ask." Hu agreed as they all finished up their meal.

"That said, the kitchen staff are kinda sick of me. So what say we take turns getting the meals?" Moira suggested. "Raised hand for yea, no reaction for nay."

All hands were raised.

"Motion passed." Mako stated in an officious voice; Jin and Moira started laughing.

"Are we going to make Raleigh get lunch?" Jin asked as Mako and Hu moved to a separate part of the room to begin.

"Hm. I like this idea."

"As do I."

The three grinned at one another.

"Alright, first. How familiar are you with meditation?" Moira began.

Cheung and Jin exchanged looks before responding, "very."

"Awesome. That makes life so much easier."

Mako glanced over, but the three were being fairly quiet as they discussed.

Hu offered a small smile.

She began to walk him through the basics: meditation, how to dial down senses. It was slow going; Hu's knowledge of meditation made him slightly ahead of Raleigh, but dialing down senses was not something that came easily, especially to someone unused to having them. There was also trying to describe and duplicate the average normal human's senses; it was less difficult for Hu, as he'd only come online recently. But it still took doing, especially as going too far in one direction would cause the sense to be completely muted, which would cause panic and then presumably the spiking of that sense.

-x-x-x-x-

The look on Chuck's face when he walked into the newly-cushionified room said it all.

Chance literally fell over laughing, glad the cushions were down. Cor masterfully kept a straight face, though he knew if Chance laughed 'til he cried, he'd crack. Herc smirked but didn't laugh outright and simply motioned his son in.

"I'm training. In here. Where a cushion factory forgot to stack its product."

"Dude, you seriously need to work on your descriptors." Cor commented, then glared at Chance.

"Sorry?" The Sentinel managed out, grinning sheepishly.

"Drift-bleed." Cor stated flatly before either Hansen could ask.

"Indeed." Chance supplied as he sat up. "So what're we doin' first, eh?"

His Guide gave him a look that made him dive under the cushions (but on top of the mats under them) for fear of bodily harm. "Wasn't a Canadian joke, I sweeeear!"

Herc snickered. "So you're Canadian, eh?"

Cor glowered. "I don't know."

"Whaddaya mean, you don't know?" Chuck grumbled as he reluctantly took a seat on one of the cushions.

"Anyway. What do you know about being a Guide?" Cor deflected.

Herc frowned but let it go for now. 

"...I know how to control my empathy." Chuck muttered. 

Cor stared at him. "Is that it?"

The redhead nodded stiffly.

The other Guide flopped down on the cushions. "Great. Raw beginner. With a Sentinel who has five senses online. Not to mention trauma."

"In fewer words: this will take doing." Chance supplied helpfully, then wilted at the withering look shot his way by both Herc and Cor.

"How old are you again?" Chuck snapped.

"Only three years older than you." Chance responded cheerfully. "Besides, war's over. I might have to make mature for the cameras and all when we finally get descended upon by the vultures...but until then—"

"If you can't act like an adult, we'll find another Sentinel." Cor cut in flatly.

Chance sighed, grumbled for a moment, then nodded. "But when we're not training..."

"Yes, yes, act like a kid. Go on. Just make sure you visit your sister when you're sugar high."

"Training?" Chuck reminded them stiffly.

"Right." Chance mumbled. "Okay, first of all. By 'control', do you mean actual control or are you talking Raleigh's version of it?"

Before Chuck could puff up, Cor interrupted, "what he means is, can you control your empathy? Or do you just know how to suppress it?"

"Control." Chuck seethed. 

"Okay." Cor murmured in a placating tone. "That should help with this, then. Chance."

"Fine." The Sentinel mumbled before sitting, lotus style, on a cushion. 

Cor nodded to Herc, who stared for a moment before he nodded.

"Dial up your hearing to the ten feet limit. Tell me who's nearby—just generally, no need to go into specifics." Herc stated, then used his empathy to ground the Sentinel as he did just that.

"...a group of techs. Striker's, I think. They're heading up the hallway, probably for the caf since they're discussing food." Chance supplied readily.

"Good. Now dial your hearing back down to normal levels—slowly."

Chance did so. "Man. You're pretty good for someone unbound."

Herc smirked, slightly, before he glanced at his son.

"...you literally grounded him. I could feel it." The younger redhead murmured softly, voice holding something that sounded akin to awe.

"Not bad. I didn't even tell you to use your empathy to observe." Cor commented. "Now, the lingo tends to be pretty specific. I mean, since you have a Sentinel, you obviously can change things as it suits you two. But most use the terms 'dial up' and 'dial down'. The idea is to have the Sentinel picture an actual dial, with numbers if you want, and have them relate certain levels of their abilities to certain numbers."

"For instance!" Chance jumped in. "For me, 'normal' settings all correspond to the number three. So if one is spiking or bothering me, Cor reminds me to 'turn it to three' or 'dial down to three'. Then grounds me."

"Then it's dealt with?"

"In most cases. Sometimes—especially when you're first starting—you might need to leave whatever's going on until whatever sense it is has been properly dealt with. You also have to keep in mind that while we're supposed to have control over our senses, we're...we don't tend to handle having them shut off all the time well. Raleigh...is gonna have to learn to use them more often, if not dial them up in general. It takes a toll on you, if you try to live like that. Suppressants are one thing...that's another." The Sentinel explained.

"But he spent five years without them under control." Chuck retorted.

"...okay, that complicates things a bit." Cor muttered and tugged absently on his short ponytail.

"Why don't you try walking Chance through dialing a sense up, then down?" Herc suggested.

Chuck nodded, then looked at Chance.

-x-x-x-x-

When Raleigh woke this time, the first thing he was aware of was a peaceful, pervading sense of calm. Every muscle in his body seemed to be lax; he felt almost as though every problem had simply melted away.

"Nifty, huh?"

He jumped and spun to find Moira poking her head in.

"We're breaking for lunch. By unanimous decision, you're to go fetch it, but we are gonna take turns with it." She added.

He grumbled but got up. "What's nifty?"

"This room. It's designed to help a Sentinel ground themselves, to ensure a safe, secure feeling. Probably why you slept so easily."

Raleigh nodded, then padded out into the main area ahead of her; he sighed when she closed the door behind her.

"Don't worry, we're not banning you from the meditation room. But you do have to share, y'know."

He nodded, then murmured a greeting to the triplets and Mako.

The Guide in question rose in one smooth moment. "I will assist Raleigh with getting the food."

Moira shrank back at the expression on her face and nodded before hurriedly distracting Hu; Jin and Cheung joined that effort as Raleigh followed Mako from the room.

-x-x-x-x-

"Uhm?" Raleigh began, then flinched when Mako glared before calmly, verbally ripping into him on their way to the cafeteria.

"I know." He interrupted quietly. "I know what I said was wrong. And so is that....thinking that about Guides. I was warned not to underestimate them, to start with. But I did."

She paused, then nodded. "We will still spar."

"Yeah."He mumbled. "And you'll hand my my ass, same as usual."

That won him a small smile.

"Now, what happened the other day?"

Raleigh bit his lip, then considered the cafeteria door they were twenty feet from. "I'll tell you on the way back, alright?"

She frowned, but agreed and led the way into the cafeteria. 

Chance waved; Cor nodded; Herc did the same; Chuck glowered, then focused on Max when his dog pawed at him.

Raleigh stiffened but resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled for following Mako to the serving area and snagging a tray. Between the two of them, they managed to get a variety of things; they were on their way out when Chuck rose, eyes on them.

The blond was out of the cafeteria before he could even make his way around the table, let alone come any closer. Mako stood, stunned, for a moment. She then hurried after him; this was not normal behavior.

"Raleigh!"

He motioned for her to join him in a small alcove that was far enough away from the cafeteria that he felt comfortable. Then, haltingly, he explained about what he'd learned in regards to his brother. Mako's eyes widened; for the briefest of moments, she projected horror.

"Pretty much." He murmured, then managed a wan smile. "I know it doesn't excuse what I said. But...I thought you should know, at least."

She nodded, wishing she could offer him a hug at least. But if their scents were to be mingled as such, it would set Hu off, which was not something they needed at the moment. She settled for surrounding him with comfort for a moment; he relaxed slightly, then murmured that the others were probably hungry.

-x-x-x-x-

"...y'saw that, right?" Chuck asked stiffly as he stared at the doorway Raleigh'd disappeared through.

Chance's head was cocked to the side as he considered Chuck. "Did you tell him to leave you alone?"

"No." The Aussie snapped, then turned his glare on his dad. 

"I'm just a Guide, remember? Becket's not afraid of me." Herc replied wryly.

Chuck's fists clenched but he said nothing; Cor took a slow, calming breath.

"To be honest, sir? I'd rather tangle with a cobra. Probably safer..." Chance admitted.

"...kiss arse." Herc commented, but seemed pleased nonetheless.

Cor smirked. "Oh, he's not. He's used to getting his ass handed to him by Guides. If you're anywhere near as vicious as I am..."

"He is." Chuck muttered.

Chance sighed. "Training was more fun when I was up against people who didn't want to kill me."

"Kill? No. Maim? Sometimes." Cor's grin was positively feral.

"...he's my opponent for the afternoon." The Sentinel pointed at Chuck. 

"I don't mind sittin' out a round." The younger Aussie commented.

"...I do not like you guys." Chance stated flatly and sulked for the rest of lunch, much to Cor's amusement, Chuck's bafflement/disgust and Herc's amused exasperation.

-x-x-x-x-

Hu managed the separation from his Guide, who'd been accompanied by another Sentinel, rather well. Especially for someone who'd only come online recently.

"Dude. Why are we teaching you again?" Moira joked.

Hu smiled. "I am but a beginner."

"As is everyone, once." She retorted, then waved at Mako and Raleigh as they entered with lunch. "Yessss, food!"

"You had breakfast." Raleigh grumbled as he headed for the kitchen, with its comically cramped dining area.

"So?" Jin asked as he snagged some food first; Cheung quickly copied him. Mako shook her head, then selected some food for herself; Moira, Raleigh and Hu followed suit. They all settled on the floor of the tiny kitchen, opting not to try to crowd around the table.

"You slept. We trained." Cheung added.

"You meditated." Mako corrected.

"Still tiring." Moira muttered, then grinned unrepentantly when Raleigh shot her a flat look.

"Are we going to keep meditating for the afternoon?" Hu asked.

"No." His Guide murmured, then grinned.

"Why do I feel like this is gonna involve the staves..." Moira mumbled, then sighed when Mako's grin only grew.

-x-x-x-x-

"Since I think Chance needs some time to recover after..." Cor paused when Chuck turned red. "Your first attempt, I'll be your opponent."

"Awh, c'mon." Chance grumbled. "I'm not that bad."

"If your balance were any shakier, you'd need to crawl to get around. Hansen'll eat you alive if you don't give it a bit." Cor responded before tossing Chuck a staff and engaging him.

Herc took a seat by Chance and observed, frowning when he noticed that Cor was pointedly ignoring the holes in Chuck's guard.

"He does that." Chance murmured. "He holds off, gets a measure of his opponent. Then, when they least expect it—"

Chuck hit the mat, flat on his back; his staff clattered to the floor. 

Cor straightened and raised his staff to the start position. "Again?"

The Aussie rolled over, got up, grabbed his staff and all but launched himself at his opponent.

Herc sighed and wished he'd tried harder at teaching his son restraint. He'd walked right into the 'trap' Cor set for him; the angrier he got, the more aggressive he got, but that was also coupled with carelessness. It made him easy to manipulate as an opponent and even easier to defeat. All you had to do was piss him off, royal, and there went any sort of finesse, any sort of planning. It was part of the reason Becket had kept handing him his ass; frustration made his son even sloppier than anger.

"He'll learn."

Herc glanced at the Sentinel.

"It took me a while. And a lot of bruises. But Cor an' Moira trained me out of that." The smile on the other man's face was nostalgic. "It was hard but worth it. Pretty sure he'll see it that way too, once he's done."

"We'll see." 

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha frowned as she looked up from one of the lists of their contacts. They had been through most of them today, pausing only to eat or drink.

"Nothing." Aleksis growled. "This man is a ghost."

"We will find him." She replied. "It does not matter how long it takes. He will be found. And he will learn that Rangers are not to be messed with."

He nodded, then resumed working with his own list.

She considered it, acknowledging that both would need some time in the Kwoon after this, if only for stress relief. Perhaps Pentecost would let them play with the doctor...when they found him. That would certainly make all this frustration worth it.

Aleksis opened his most recent email and smiled coldly. "It says that our contact in Peru has heard of a remote village. One where those with enhanced senses enter and do not leave. Neither do sharers of their emotions."

Her eyes narrowed. "Ask him to investigate—discreetly."

He nodded, his big hands nimble as they moved across the keyboard. "Shall we inform the Marshal?"

"No. If this is not a real lead, we do not wish to get his hopes up. If he asks, we will tell him we may have a lead."

Aleksis nodded, then sent the email. With any luck, they might have just found the sick fuck who caused the other Becket boy's death.

The two hadn't been best friends with the American pilots, but they'd had several drops together. The boys were hard fighters, if a bit cocky; they had watched their backs in those drops and had done it well. Their first meeting had been one of cold silence met with confusion. The two had thought that would be enough to deter the Americans. They thought wrong. The next time they had a drop together, both made a point to greet them in Russian and say a few inane, badly accented things to boot. They were unbothered by the cold, distant manner the Russians affected to ensure they were left alone. Though neither she nor Aleksis had encouraged them, they kept it up; the friendliness, the badly accented Russian. That doggedness and disregard of what normally scared others off had marked them as comrades, even if they were rarely seen and too busy defending their respective sectors to keep in regular contact.

...it didn't hurt that Raleigh had shared his candy with Aleksis; it had been root beer flavored, which was the taller of the Russians' favorite. And Yancy had fought Sasha in the Vladivostok Kwoon; he'd lasted for almost ten minutes, a record for anyone who was not her drift partner.

So the Becket boys? They'd made an impression. They'd also made friends, though they might not have known it. And the Russians? They were harder to make friends with than the average person, but once you had them in your corner, it was harder to get them to leave. To find out Yancy had died was a harsh blow; to find that it had been orchestrated by some power-mad fool intent on using him as an experiment was an insult like no other.

And it was one the Russians intended to rectify. If part of that rectification involved some blood letting, well, who could blame them?

-x-x-x-x-

At two PM, the guards by one of the jaeger bay doors noticed an unmoving form upon the pavement. One hand signaled for backup as the other went to inspect what could have been a trap.

He gently tipped the form over and immediately backed away, trying not to puke.

The unmoving form was a woman with her throat slashed; a note was pinned to her with a dagger. It read "now we're even. return my shoe."

An hour later, it was determined that the body belonged to the mystery nurse who had given Newt the morphine, then disappeared. From there, Pentecost brought the note, bagged, to where the Sentinel-scientist in question was holed up with his bond-partners. He was reluctant to bother them; he was well aware they needed to re-establish their bond after so long a separation but the safety of everyone took precedence.

"Mmm?" A sleep-mussed Newt answered the door, blinking owlishly at him.

"May I enter?" Normally he'd order; normally he wasn't dealing with two Sentinels and their Guide. 

"Nessa?" Newt asked, turning. He must have received a nod, because he moved aside to let the Marshal in.

"Marshal." Vanessa murmured, dipping her head slightly; Hermann was asleep on the bed behind her.

He was surprised that these two would allow him in their territory, as new as it was, with their Guide in such a vulnerable state.

"What brings you here?" Newt yawned as he padded over to their small kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"This." Pentecost stated, holding up the note.

"Uh. Chau's alive?!" The tiny scientist half-choked on his coffee.

"It was found on the woman who gave you morphine."

Vanessa's gaze sharpened as Newt fidgeted; Hermann stirred.

"To be more precise, it was found on her body."

Newt quickly disappeared and reappeared, bringing a bag with him. "This is it. This is the shoe. Here."

Pentecost accepted it. "Any idea why Chau's taken a liking to you?"

"None." Newt mumbled, avoiding looking anywhere near Vanessa.

The Marshal asked a few more queries before he left; he had a feeling Vanessa had, in light of their reunion, not been informed of what exactly her boys had done. Now he had to find a way to get Chau's shoe back to him. And find out why the hell a kaiju smuggler did a favor for one of his finicky scientists. He rubbed his temples, trying to rid himself of the headache forming.

It didn't work, same as every other time. For a moment, he paused. Wished he could go to his Guide, let him soothe away the tension that was causing his muscles to ache. Then he shook it off and kept going; for one, he was mad at his Guide. For another, spending significant amounts of time around the man made the suppressants all-but-useless. And he needed them as strong as possible to be able to keep up his duties as Marshal. Tendo was a good second, but he knew the man wouldn't be able to keep everything running for the length of time it'd take him to get a handle on his senses if he were to let himself come online.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck hit the mat again, but got right back up and reengaged Chance, who'd yet to even break a sweat.

"I'll grant him this: he's a determined little shit." Cor murmured as he watched their fifth round.

Herc huffed in amusement; he knew damn well his son was just that.

"Shuh...shut up..." Chuck panted; he'd gone ten rounds with Cor before the other Guide relented and let his Sentinel step up. It'd taken the better part of two hours for those ten rounds; the ensuing five where he fought Chance had taken yet another hour. The Aussie would never admit it, but it was...worse, somehow, than when he'd had his daily spar with Raleigh. With him, there'd been a measure of emotion involved, even if it was negative, biting, caustic.

With the two of them? He got no reading what so ever, just a bored disinterest. While they handed him his ass, worse even than Raleigh had. He guessed now that Raleigh had been holding back on him. That or these two were just vicious.

Chance lightly tapped his forehead with the tip of the staff. "Hey. No dreaming, Hansen."

He immediately counter attacked, found himself diverted but wasn't knocked to the mat. He knew the other man could have done it easily, probably didn't only because he was sick of dodging his initial lunging strike.

"A word of advice? Get angry, but use it a little more productively than you do now. Anger usually fuels an adrenaline spike; that makes you faster and a little stronger. Utilize it."

Having sparred with him and listening to him talk now...Chuck could hardly reconcile this deadly serious, competent Sentinel with the one he'd been hanging out with for the past day or so. Cor normally gave off a 'don't fuck with me' vibe; one that made most let him alone, even the ones who cooed over how adorable he looked when he was half asleep. But Chance was the fairly friendly, goofy, snarky one.

And now he was more like Cor.

It explained how they meshed as copilots, at least.

"Oy. Hansen. I'm over here. If you wanna spar with Cor again, go ahead. But give me a heads up first, yeah?"

Chuck ground his teeth and instead of lunging, hooked Chance's ankle with his foot, tugged; simultaneously sliding his staff under the other man's, then jerking up so even if he recovered, he was weaponless.

As it happened, the stunned Sentinel didn't recover. He hit the mat with a slight oof, then grinned.

"Nice!"

"It'll be nice when he can manage it more than once." Cor called.

"Shut it, peanut gallery! We are being positive, damn you!"

"I'm positive you're crashing in your sister's room tonight." Was the bland retort.

"Awh, c'mon!"

-x-x-x-x-

Mako had begun their afternoon training herself. And she'd taken Raleigh to task for his comment, multiple times. As upset as she was to hear about Yancy and the suspected sabotage, Raleigh needed to learn, sooner rather than later. She was also fairly certain Moira would coddle the blond Guide while he needed it; she'd always been better at that sort of thing.

"Do you yield?" She asked.

This was Raleigh's fifth fall; her fifth victory. Hu, who had begun the matches with both of his brothers holding onto him, was now watching with something akin to awe; neither of his brothers had to restrain him after the second bout. All three of them felt their respect for the Guide grow.

Raleigh nodded, then turned his head to the side. "Your turn?" He asked Moira.

"Nah. Not my cuppa tea. Tolja: I can't beat you with that toothpick."

The male pilots exchanged confused glances, Mako and Moira secretive grins.

"Hu?" Mako asked.

"I am willing to try." He murmured and accepted the staff Raleigh offered him. The blond flopped down beside Moira and considered learning about Japanese bows, if only to find the one that conveyed the most respect. That way he knew which one to give Mako when he apologized. 

Six bouts later and Hu was ready to concede defeat for the day. 

Jin and Cheung happily took over and had a few bouts, though they did try to pester Moira into joining them.

"No thanks, lads. I'd rather watch." She winked in an over exaggerated manner, which caused both to laugh before they spent a round doing ridiculous moves and showing off their muscles. She and Raleigh obligingly clapped for them when they were done, then burst out laughing.

"...you are not allowed to team up for pranks." Mako informed them.

"I like this idea." Moira murmured.

"I like it a lot." Jin added.

Cheung just smirked. "We shall start with the Kaidanovskys."

Mako's glare went from vaguely annoyed to murderous; the three decided if they were going to plot, they'd do it when she wasn't around to hear it. Moira started a conversation with Raleigh; the two triplets resumed training.

"You are very capable." Hu commented quietly as the two observed the other four.

Mako raised an eyebrow.

"In terms of fighting." He clarified and was rewarded by a small smile. "But that does not mean I expect you to fight all your battles alone."

She frowned.

"I know you can. But you should not have to."

The Guide considered this, but was interrupted by Moira.

"Hey, isn't it about dinner time?"

All eyes turned to the clock.

"We can always pick back up after." Cheung told the sullen Jin.

"Fine." He put the staff away; all trooped towards the mess hall.

They had just grabbed food and settled around a table when the Hansens, Cor and Chance entered the room. Raleigh resisted the urge to duck under the table only because Mako kicked him.

"He probably does not bite." Jin supplied, smirking.

"Not unless you ask, anyway." Moira muttered as she poked at her food.

Cheung all but bit down on his hand to muffle his laughter; Hu and Mako stared at them; Raleigh wasn't sure whether to laugh or interrogate them on how the fuck they knew he had a thing for biting. Luckily he was spared the chance by the three Guides and Sentinel who claimed the table closest to theirs, which was also between them and the closest door.

Raleigh fought the urge to roll his eyes. _Really, Chuck?_ Talk about transparent.

"Ah, here most of you are!"

It was Moira's turn to contemplate diving under the table, as that voice belonged to her grandda.

Hu moved so he could get to his feet quickly at need; Raleigh did the same.

"Who are you, exactly?" Cheung inquired, face neutral; Jin discreetly palmed his knife. It was dull but would serve the proper purpose if used to stab as opposed to slice.

"Alan Johnson." Moira supplied, voice and face carefully neutral.

"...aren't you the one who bought the Alaskan Shatterdome?" Hu asked as some of the tension bled out of his form.

"Indeed I am. I've also been appointed as PR manager for the PPDC. I have yet to catch the Kaidanovskys or the pilots of Vulcan Specter. But now that I have you five here, I need to inform you that you will have another week and a half before I have to schedule interviews for everyone."

Moira snickered at the looks on all their faces; they ranged from 'are you fucking kidding me?!' to resignation to 'I did not help save the world for this shit'.

"I wouldn't laugh, if I were you. Each of the tech crews are to elect one of their own to represent them." Alan informed her.

"I sincerely doubt I'll be elected, seeing as I'm not part of any crew." With that, Moira returned to her dinner.

Her grandfather smothered a sigh and asked each of the pilots to report to him at some point before the week and a half was out; they needed to discuss, beyond the obvious, questions that they would prefer not be asked. They responded, generally with an affirmative and he left, but not before extracting a promise from Chance to have lunch with him the next day.

"So. Training." Raleigh began as they all dug into their food.

"What about it?" Jin asked as he nibbled on a slice of bread.

The blond was spared the chance to answer when "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" began to blare from the speakers. It was interspersed with curses, presumably from Tendo, as LOCCENT was where the music was coming from.

"What the hell, man?" Raleigh called as it shut off.

"Machine error." There was a pause. " _Don't_ ask. That means you, Becket!"

The blond ducked his head, grinning slightly, as the others at their table chuckled.

"Hey, B—"

"See you guys when you're done." He hurriedly stuffed his half-full tray on the rack, then disappeared out the door before Chuck could get within five feet of him.

Mako and the triplets frowned; Moira resisted the urge to facepalm, barely. For someone who didn't want anyone else to know about his inability to prevent his senses from spiking around a certain someone, he was shit at being discreet.

She sighed and rose, bringing her food with her. "I'll go make sure genius actually eats something."

"Rowan."

She glanced at Herc before reluctantly approaching their table. "Sir?" 

That earned her a flat look before he motioned her away from the other three. "Becket having trouble controlling his senses? Around Chuck?"

The Guide kept her face blank and shrugged; if Raleigh didn't want the head Guide to know, he definitely wouldn't want Herc Hansen to. With a wave, she left.

"What was that about?" Chance inquired.

"Nothin'." Herc muttered as he resumed his seat. Yep. No way Raleigh'd managed to imprint upon his son. They'd have to fix that, provided the idiot Sentinel ever apologized. ...not that he'd make it easy on him. Chuck was his last living reminder of Angela; their _son_. He'd be damned if he'd let some hotshot Sentinel who had no clue saunter in and attempt to wander off with his boy. Although Chuck seemed more annoyed than inclined to wander off, at the moment. 

Then again, since his father had offered to pilot, he'd pretty much always been annoyed. To start, that annoyance had been a quiet, discreet thing. Only manifested in small, short bursts of temper. Otherwise his kid had been numb, still trying to wade his way through the mire of grief he'd landed in after he lost his mother. Herc knew it all too well; he was in that same mire. But that was part of the reason he'd signed on so readily. If he was out there, was fighting, he could keep his son— _their_ son—safe, despite the way he'd failed his wife.

It had never been a choice. Not really. But he still felt his wife's loss keenly. It had dimmed some, in the intervening years; a dull, aching throb of a scar not quite healed as opposed to an open, festering wound. 

But back then, he'd had to fight even to get the chance to be a pilot. After all, he was a Guide; they were no good in combat. Tell that to the numerous missions he'd completed as a Royal Air Force pilot; tell that to the wing he was a valued member of; tell that to the commanders who knew damn well he could be relied on. Either way, he'd managed it, mostly because his brother-the-Sentinel had been compatible.

That had silenced most of the nay-sayers, if only because "everyone" knew that Sentinels were best at combat; were already lethal in every day life, so how much better would they be in active combat? Never mind that his brother had always been the quieter, the calmer, the less violent of the two. The one who'd hated fighting and had only ever stepped foot near a jaeger because that was what his brother had wanted.

He had the same protective instincts as any Sentinel...but that hadn't made him like the fighting. Scott had done it, because it had been necessary. But he'd never liked it. Which was why he eventually cracked and almost gotten them killed; had gotten Lucky Seven scrapped. After that, he'd apologized but bowed out; he could take no more. It'd been quite a few years since Herc had heard from him, let alone seen him.

Those in charge had still tried to pin the blame on Herc; tried to claim it was he who had caused Lucky Seven's destruction and that his Sentinel brother was protecting him by taking the blame. Luckily for him, Pentecost told them to stuff it. So Herc had gone on to partner with various others in other jaegers. It was only after a particularly exhausting drop that he found out his son, the one he was doing all this to keep safe, had joined the jaeger academy. The youngest recruit, age twelve.

He'd rushed back, barely sleeping on the trip, to find his defiant son glaring at him with unshed tears in his eyes.

"I'm doin' it." Chuck had said. "I'm doin' it and you can't stop me. You're a Guide; if you can, I can too."

"That's not why I didn't want this for you." Herc murmured. But he hadn't tried to stop him, not after that. And not after what he'd found out after their first drift: his son wanted to help him, help protect him...and to make sure no other family was ripped apart the way theirs was. The kid hadn't forgiven him for his mother's death, not yet, but...he was trying. And he wanted to make damn sure he didn't lose the only family he had left. It was with great reluctance Herc gave the okay when Pentecost asked; it wasn't just the danger he wanted to keep his son from.

It was all the comments, the jeers, the stares, the whispers. The freaks, the unnaturals, the Sentinels who saw them as a threat to what they considered the "proper conduct" of Guides. He was used to that shiite; had gotten it his entire life. His son? His son was not, had been sheltered as best as both he and Angela had been able. Now, though...now his son would be completely exposed. 

They both were. The higher ups did their damndest to keep the two out of a jaeger, even when they were clearly compatible and competent. Had the highest sim scores of those in the Sydney 'Dome, even with the active pilots in consideration. Even with the fact that at least three of those pilots were Sentinels. Even after Pentecost had backed them, it was still a struggle.

The brass had backed off once they'd made it out and showed just how capable they were.

The public did not. If anything, their condemnation got worse. Most of those in Australia, thankfully, changed their tune when it became obvious that not only were the Guide-Rangers to stay, but they were damn good. If anything, in Australia, they'd become heroes—especially to Guides who'd been told all their lives they would amount to nothing without a Sentinel. But everywhere else, even if they'd just saved their sorry hides from a kaiju?

Nothing but condemnation and scorn.

At first, it had created friction between the two. But you could hide nothing in the drift. And so his son had found out exactly what his misgivings had been; had found out the exact reason for them. He'd been stunned; Herc had been embarrassed. He was better than he had been, but it was difficult to completely erase the scars left on him by his traditionalist father, who'd wanted a Sentinel-soldier for a son and not a Guide. 

His son had seen it all with time; that, combined with the nastiness directed at them everywhere but Australia, slowly drew them together. Closer. Not demonstrative; if anything, Chuck began to copy his father's mannerisms so as to appear unlike a "normal" Guide. Herc, who'd largely shed his adopted mannerisms after escaping his father, put them to good use. It hurt him that he had to do this; that his son copied. But it helped; they were taken slightly more seriously.

Either way, it had forced them to become closer. To rely on one another. They still weren't big on heart-to-hearts or physical demonstrations of affection. But they could talk to one another, could spend time in the other's company comfortably. They were family; awkward, rough around the edges, but still father and son when all was said and done.

"Dad?" A gentle—for Chuck—nudge met his ribs.

"Fine." He responded quietly; a small smile flitted across his features.

Both started, remembering the other two at the table.

Chance was grinning; if anything, he looked pleased that there seemed to be a familial bond between the two, even if they hid it most of the time behind gruffness. 

Cor swatted him. "Behave, idiot. There's a reason they don't normally act like that."

"I know." Chance sighed. "But, still."

"What?" Chuck snapped. "No 'go back to the Guide center'?"

"Why would I tell you to go there?" The Sentinel grumbled. "You two more than earned the right to be Rangers, both of you. If I'd had to deal with the shit you two went through, I'd not be here."

Cor nodded. "I got shit, but a hell of a lot less than you two did."

"We looked it up." Chance supplied before they could ask. "After your comment the other day."

"I don't want your pity." Chuck snarled.

"Need your empathy checked, then." The Sentinel remarked coolly. "If you can't tell the difference between pity and respect."

-x-x-x-x-

Mako sighed softly; on one hand, she wanted to drag Raleigh to the Kwoon and spar with him until he took it back. On the other hand, she wanted to hug him and help soothe the pain that finding out his brother's death had not been a tragic accident as originally though. On the mythical third hand, she wanted Chuck to do both of those things himself.

Hu nudged her, gently, with his knee.

She looked up and managed a small grin.

Jin and Cheung started cracking jokes; Hu turned to glare at them, but found that Mako's grin was much more genuine now.

...perhaps he would have to get them to teach him their way with humor, if it could help cheer his Guide.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh sighed softly as he nibbled on the food Moira glowered over him at.

"I get that things are rough right now, okay? But you still need to remember to eat. And once we're done, you're meditating. You need it."

He nodded, finished the food and headed to the meditation room. She joined him and helped him to empty his mind, even if it was only for a little bit.

-x-x-x-x-

The next week was remarkably similar to the first day, exempting the one Chance had lunch with his grandda. It was generally agreed upon that day was not to mentioned, discussed or even thought of.

If only because Chuck would turned redder than his hair at the slightest hint of it; Alan would clear his throat and shift uncomfortably; Herc would focus a glare reserved for kaiju upon whoever mentioned it.

Each day, both groups had meditation practice in the morning, though Chuck's also included a lesson on how to ground Sentinels. They would break for lunch; the afternoon was all physical sparring. Chuck, Raleigh and Hu were all improving, though Chuck was still bad at controlling his temper in physical sparring.

Raleigh stepped up for the afternoon spar; Mako, however, looked to Moira.

"Oh, my turn now?" She asked, a wicked grin curving her lips.

Mako nodded; Jin made a 'wha?' face.

"Put yer toothpick away, Raleigh." Her grin promised pain. "We're doin' this the proper way—hand to hand."

Raleigh glanced at Mako; she merely mouthed 'good luck'.

-x-x-x-x-

After watching Raleigh land on the mat in various ways for the better part of forty-five minutes, Cheung and Jin took pity on him—only after snickering for thirty of those minutes—and claimed it was their turn.

"Is it?" Moira asked, smirking.

They both looked to Mako.

She nodded and motioned for Raleigh and Moira to cool down.

"You are vicious." Hu informed her in a neutral tone.

"Oh, aye."

Raleigh just groaned. "I give, alright. I'll apologize."

Both Guides grinned.

"I was gonna anyway." He grumbled as he sat up and stretched. For all Moira had knocked him down, she hadn't left many bruises. When he said as much, Mako raised an eyebrow.

"I only go all-out with you, Cor or Chance. No way blondie over here is ready for that."

It seemed Raleigh liked his pride being stepped on as much as the average person; he informed her he'd prove he was.

"And you will." Moira responded. "But first."

"Apologize." Mako finished firmly; she and Moira exchanged smug looks. So far, the plan was a go.

Raleigh sighed, but nodded. Then pondered how in the hell he was gonna do that while not going any closer to him than five feet. He also had a feeling Herc would demand matches in the Kwoon; matches he knew damn well he'd lose and not on purpose. The older man was better than Mako was with the staff and he was physically stronger to boot, even if he wasn't as strong as Raleigh. This meant bruises. Lots and lots of bruises.

"How 'bout a match?" Jin asked Moira.

"If you want to watch me fall on my face, sure." She muttered as she eyed the staves the two triplets held.

"...wait. You can hand me my ass, spar with Mako, Cor and your brother...but you can't handle a staff?!"

"...I really should punch you for that." Moira muttered when Mako shook her head, Hu made a face, and the other two cracked the hell up.

Raleigh made a sound similar to "fneh" before mentally kicking himself for his word choices.

"That said, I am horrible with that damn thing. Absolutely horrible. I am actually not allowed to touch one in Sydney, mostly because medical got sick of me being dragged in for broken fingers." She admitted.

"Next time, we spar with them." Raleigh mumbled.

"Chyeah right." Moira responded, sticking her tongue out. "Hand to hand is the one damn advantage I have over you."

"I dunno." Cheung joked. "You're almost as pretty as he is."

Jin facepalmed but reluctantly joined the spar that ensued if only so the irritated Sentinel-Guide team did not completely humiliate his brother.

-x-x-x-x-

"Well, on one hand, at least she's taken care of?" Tendo tried to think positively.

"She's the only one we had any chance of IDing." Stacker responded stiffly. "We now have no leads; we don't even know which kaiju group she was working for, if she was working for one. And now we have a kaiju dealer with an interest in one of our scientists." Pentecost resisted the urge to rub his temples again.

Tendo mutely handed him a cup of tea left for him by the head Guide. "At least the Russians should have luck on that doctor, yeah?"

"That would be one thing I'd prefer go right." Stacker muttered before he took a sip of his tea.

-x-x-x-x-

Chance wobbled to his feet and walked around the room, trying to steady himself. Cor walked within arms' reach, so he could catch his Sentinel if necessary.

Chuck gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself down; he was extremely frustrated, which was not helping this situation.

Herc placed a hand on his shoulder, sent a few calming, soothing feelings across that point of contact; Chuck's shoulders relaxed as he let out a slow breath.

"Thanks." He muttered stiffly.

"It was better that time." Chance mumbled.

"Better!" Chuck snarled.

"It was." The Sentinel insisted stubbornly. "Before, I couldn't even stand up. And I haven't even zoned yet. You're not doing horribly for someone who's only been at this a week."

"It's true." Cor admitted. "First week the two of us worked together, he zoned three times the first day."

"...though to be fair, you are kinda distracting." Chance murmured with a wink.

Cor rolled his eyes; Herc snorted; Chuck made a gagging noise.

"Oh, hush, you." The Sentinel waved a hand at him. "If your Sentinel ever gets his head out of his ass, he'll go all gooey over you too."

Cor shook with silent laughter; Herc turned away rather than dignify that with a comment; Chuck flipped him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Thumbs up to you too, kid."

"You're only three years older!"

"But I am ancient in terms of—"

Cor clapped a hand over his copilot's mouth. "That's enough for right now, thank you very much."

-x-x-x-x-

Vanessa was still not entirely happy with the two of them. She was calmer, now, but still not happy.

"Sorry?" Newt offered meekly.

"It's not just that you involved Hermann." She stated. "You endangered yourself too, Newt. And, believe it or not, you are important. You're one third of the people that make up this relationship and you are necessary."

Hermann nodded. "I know Vanessa and I were together first, but...you are here now. Part of us."

Newt nodded but didn't meet their eyes; they sat together, with him in the middle. It was his turn to be fussed over.

He accepted it, with a tinge of reluctance. Sometimes...he still felt like an intruder in their relationship, even though both assured him that was not the case.

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha and Aleksis had spent the rest of the week going through their lists; all but the man in Peru had reported back. This could mean a number of things, but both were all but sure this meant that they had found their man. Either that or their contact had gotten themselves killed, which would complicate things.

Sasha sighed gratefully when Aleksis began to massage her shoulders. "It is your turn." She murmured. "When I am done."

He smiled, pressed a kiss to her head. "I can wait."

She smirked up at him. "And if I do not wish to?"

"Then I will be a happy man."

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh moved the food on his plate absently. Chuck had stopped trying to approach him earlier in the week; it was both a good and bad thing. On one hand, it meant he could eat in peace. On the other, it meant he'd either given up or was plotting something, neither of which he wanted to deal with. He sighed before he put his fork down; he knew damn well he wouldn't be able to eat until after he'd said his piece.

When he rose, all eyes from his table followed him.

He clamped down on his senses as he approached the table where Chuck, Herc, Cor and Chance sat.

"Yeah?" Cor asked coolly when he looked up and found him standing there.

All the words Raleigh had been rehearsing fled when his eyes met Chuck's.

"I wanted to apologize. I was wrong. I might not be comfortable with Guides in combat but that doesn't mean they don't belong there. You two proved yourselves, more than. I'm sorry I said that. I had no right."

Chuck's eyes were wide as he stared.

Raleigh swallowed, then continued. "I know you two made it this far because you're good, not because you had anyone looking out for you. Yeah, you've had assists but so has everyone else who made it this far."

Herc's expression was blank. "1:30 PM, tomorrow, Kwoon. Be there."

"Yes, sir." Raleigh stated, then returned to his table before anything else could be said; touch had spiked badly but thankfully that was one he'd mastered ignoring. He slid back into his seat and poked at his food again. He still wasn't hungry.

Moira and Mako offered him grins; Hu, a nod; Cheung and Jin, high-fives. He waited until he was able to dial touch back down before he accepted them, however.

He had a feeling tomorrow was going to be more painful and brutal than what had happened earlier. When he stole a glance at their table, the look Herc gave him confirmed that.

Yep, he was dead.

-x-x-x-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -[Accurate picture is accurate](http://strikereurekatech.tumblr.com/post/65072931192)  
> One is me, one is my muse. I'll leave it to you lot to guess who is who.
> 
> -I NEEDED SOME FLUFF OKAY? DX  
> That's why Chance and Cor got some. Because Chaleigh fluff would make negative sense right now. And I am so fucking tired I almost typed out "sex" instead of sense. Wow. Okay. It...might mean negative sex too? Fuck if I know...
> 
>  ~~-DO NOT WATCH ANOHANA: THE FLOWER WE SAW THAT DAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO CRY.~~  
>  Holy shit. Just. Shit.
> 
> -Yes. [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hignzKHphvQ) song.


	4. Interviews are Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some start to get along, some don't; training is painful; Chuck needs to WORD; the Russians are protective of their American puppy; Pentecost is such a good leader he inspires mutiny (yeah it'll make more sense in context); and someone new shows up.
> 
> Enjoy the cliffie because I am an unrepentant asshole :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you with special thanks to artimusdin, who is awesome. And full of ideas/helped me keep sane while writing this. So, yes. Thank you :D

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck sat there, unmoving, as he tried to process what had just happened. His Sentinel, the same one who had told him he wasn't combat-worthy, told him the only reason he and his father were still alive was because the Sentinel-Guide pair that sat with them...had just apologized. He hadn't had to challenge him to the Kwoon, hadn't had to prove himself to him. Hadn't had to try. He...wasn't so sure that had just happened.

Herc nudged him with his knee; he jumped slightly, turning what he didn't know was a confused and lost look on his father. 

"Relax." He said.

"You okay?" Chance asked, leaning closer. Cor said nothing, but projected calm at Chuck.

"Y-yeah." He murmured and took a breath. "Did...that just happen?"

Chance winced; Cor nudged him.

Herc nodded. "Still gonna hand his ass to him."

"Yeah, yeah." Chuck muttered, still internally rattled. He...this didn't change much. He was still going to train with Chance, still get better at keeping his temper in hand. And he was still going to challenge Raleigh and beat him. Even if he had apologized.

Herc smothered a smile; this was going to be...interesting. No other Sentinel managed to shake Chuck up like that; none had apologized for something. And while he was pleased that Becket had done so, he still wasn't going to make it easy on him. The Sentinel was going to work for any respect he wanted from Herc; one apology would not be sufficient. And he knew, thanks to his empathy, that the Sentinel had been sincere. Which was probably part of the reason Chuck looked like someone had just taken the world and turned it on its head.

"Hm." Was Chance's only comment; it was a musing one. Cor shrugged and went back to his food. 

"Pretty sure he got ripped into." Cor supplied after Chuck had managed to calm some.

"By who?" Chuck grumbled.

"Who's sitting with him?" Chance retorted, grinning. "I dunno Mako's story, not exactly, but it took my sister two years to get it through my overly thick skull she didn't need protectin' but was happy to have someone watch her back."

Cor raised an eyebrow. "So why'd you have to relearn it from me, mmm?"

Chance shot him a flat look; that just earned him a teasing grin.

"I'm gonna get cavities." The younger Aussie muttered as his dad snorted.

"Awwwwwh. You think we're cuuuuuute!" Chance gushed loudly; then yelped when Cor cuffed the back of his head gently. "Ow."

Cor jerked his head in Raleigh's direction; the blond hadn't turned to face them, but there was no mistaking the set of his shoulders.

"I'm just teasing..." Chance whined.

"Good. Do it when you won't have a homicidal unbound Sentinel at our throats for it, yeah?"

Moira engaged Raleigh in conversation; Jin and Cheung soon joined. The moment Raleigh focused on them, Moira gave her brother a one-fingered salute, then a two-fingered one, just in case the message wasn't received.

"You two are just no fun." Chance muttered.

"You're only pulling Becket's tail because you can. And because you're a little shit."

Chuck and Herc waited for Chance to retort that he was taller, but the Sentinel returned to his dinner without so much as a huff. Cor sighed, then nudged him.

"What? No 'I'm taller'?" Chuck asked after several moments of expectant silence. It was easier to focus on these two dicking around than it was to process R—Becket having apologized.

Cor's gaze slid to Chance, who didn't respond verbally; the chill that rose off him and made all three Guides feel like they'd suddenly been doused in arctic water was enough of one by itself.

"It doesn't bother me." Cor murmured, eyes still on his Sentinel.

"That you're supposed to be two inches taller than me?" The words were hissed through gritted teeth.

"Among other things, yes." His Guide murmured.

"How the hell...?" Chuck mumbled.

Herc swallowed. "Fer that to happen....it'd take serious trauma."

"It did." The other Guide responded, then tugged his Sentinel closer. 

"But Echo never got any damage more severe than its arm removed, that one time." Chuck said, brows furrowed.

"It happened before we set foot in a jaeger." Chance's voice was more even, now.

"You were badly beaten. That's why you don't know if you're Canadian." Herc said.

Cor nodded. "Chance is the one that found me. Stuck by my side the entire time, too."

Herc nodded and stepped on Chuck's foot before his son could even try to open his mouth to ask more questions. He got that his son was well-intentioned (in this case at least) but he was never very good at knowing when to shut up. Or at least stop and think before he said something. Speaking of things he'd said...his son was no innocent, when it came to the problems with Becket. Chuck would need to apologize too; Becket, despite his anger, hadn't brought up Angela. But Chuck had spoken badly of Yancy twice. 

He looked to his son.

Chuck huffed and ate silently, most likely still processing the apology. And the newest information about Cor.

The older man left him to it and ate his own food. 

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh sighed softly. He was tired, but doubted he'd be able to sleep. Mako and Hu had bowed out after dinner; he knew Hu was probably exhausted. Learning to keep your senses under control tended to do that to you. But Jin, Cheung and Moira were still around...

"Hey." Moira poked him. "Wanna run through what I normally do for a training session?"

Cheung nodded; Jin smirked.

Raleigh paused. "Why?"

"These two have nothing better to do and I think you could use a chance to burn off some energy. I'm bored and didn't drag my ass out of bed early enough to get a session in. So everyone wins." The Guide responded.

"I'm in."

She grinned. "Awesome! And it'll get you guys a bit more used to what training's gonna entail as we go on. Using your senses to find or track someone is difficult. Even moreso when you have Mako and I as the ones you're searching for."

"Explain." Cheung stated as they headed for the Sentinel complex.

"Well. For this part of training. We'll split up again like we were before, so you're with Hu and Raleigh, Cheung. And Jin, Mako and I will be running amok. You guys will have to find and catch us; we'll be doing our damndest to make it as difficult as possible." 

"So...we'll be running in the halls?" Jin asked, the beginnings of a smirk on his face.

"Oh, more than that. But it's sanctioned, because it's training, so long as we're careful not to knock into anyone important." Moira grinned. "We drove the Icebox staff _nuts_. It was glorious."

"...Icebox?" Raleigh looked at her.

"Yeah. My bro was in acad. Had to be. And acad's in the Icebox. At that point, I was acting as his Guide and helping him train. So where he went, I went." She chuckled softly. "And then he..." She paused, looking for the right word. "...met Cor. If this had been an anime, there'd've been stars in his eyes, not to mention a glittery pink background."

"Shoujo anime, you mean." Jin corrected.

"What, you have some sort of a vendetta against pink?"

Jin and Moira bickered and snickered as they led the way. Cheung just shook his head, surprised (but pleased) that there was a woman other than Mako Mori who was capable of keeping up with them. Raleigh was frowning as he kept pace with Cheung; why had Moira hesitated when mentioning Cor?

"Was there anything...odd...about how Cor and Chance met?" He finally asked as they neared the door.

"I wasn't sure it was the right word." She admitted. "That said, it's not exactly my story to tell. It'd be like Harry trying to tell Ron and Hermione's story. He was there, he was involved...but it's still not his story."

"Harry Potter?" Jin lit up; Cheung facepalmed.

"Yeah. You're a fan too?"

Jin nodded.

"Books or movies?"

"Both!"

Moira highfived him, then punched in the code to the door. "You are my new best friend. Officially."

"Awesome. This mean we get to watch the movies?"

"Hell yes. We need to resume caf-movie-night anyway. We can start with them." 

The two discussed while Cheung made a face and Raleigh shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Alright, boyos. Time for training." The grin on Moira's face was nothing short of evil.

All three were suddenly regretting this decision.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh flopped down on the mat. "That's it. I'm sleeping here."

"Agreed. I don't think my body was meant to bend that way." Jin whined and joined him on the ground. 

Cheung snickered. "I take it your comment about 'gymnastics being easy' is revoked?" 

Jin nodded; he was pretty sure he had managed to stretch muscles he wasn't aware he had. Raleigh was certain he never wanted to practice that again; he'd stick to staff fighting. Moira shrugged, smirking slightly, before cartwheeling across the room, then cartwheeling back. She stopped, landed on her feet, then sank into a split that made her onlookers wince. 

"Chill. My brother and I have been doing MMA and gymnastics since we were little. Our parents wanted us to have a...less destructive outlet for our energy." 

"You used MMA to cross-train for gymnastics?" Cheung inquired as Raleigh and Jin grumbled about how they were camping out here, they didn't even care. 

Moira grinned. "Actually, gymnastics was my choice. MMA was Chance's. I'd honestly be completely out of practice if Mako didn't start pestering me to get back into it." 

Raleigh smiled ruefully. "Part of the 'prove Guides are more than capable' plan?" 

"Indeed. ...wait, how did you find out about our plotting sessions?" Moira frowned. 

"Because you just admitted to them." Raleigh snickered when she made a face. 

Cheung blinked, then shook his head. "You are staying here?"

Jin nodded, expression daring his older brother—only by a few minutes!—to argue. Cheung surprised him by flopping down next to him and Raleigh.

"Okay. There blankets or something?"

Moira headed for the closet, then flung a blanket at each of them. "Sleep tight, miscreants."

All three stared at her.

"No." She said.

"Join us. Join us." Raleigh began, then broke off to laugh.

"One of us, one of us, one of us." Cheung and Jin added, managing to keep themselves from cracking up longer than their compatriot.

"I ain't assimilatin', boys."

"Pleeeeeeease?" Jin whined.

"And why do you need me, mmm?" She asked.

"...because we are not official Guides." Cheung murmured.

"And we are beginners!" Jin added, smirking.

"So you fear for Raleigh zoning?" She asked, face completely blank.

Raleigh nodded. "Yes. It is an impending doom."

The other two turned to look at him like "what the hell, Becket?" but Moira cracked and started laughing.

"Alright, alright." She grabbed her own blanket and joined them, still laughing slightly.

"She can't take the word doom seriously." Raleigh supplied helpfully. "Mostly because of Elrond's eyebrow of."

"You are a dirty, rotten cheater." She informed him cheerfully.

"I am, I am." He responded affably.

"How did you know?" Jin asked.

He grinned. "During training. We'd play cards and winner had to tell something about themselves. It was something we did every night for...a while." 

"I'll tell them where you're ticklish."

"No you won't!"

The two triplets smirked.

Raleigh groaned. "I'm doomed?"

Moira snickered but nodded. "Oh, aye, Becket boy."

"Only Sasha can call me that."

"Becket boy! Becket boy! Becket boy!" Jin chanted; Cheung just gave Raleigh a "look what you started now; you get to find his damn off button" look.

The four ended up chatting, laughing and just messing around until they fell asleep on the mats. Raleigh seemed much calmer and relaxed than he had been; the three keeping him company were attributing it to having apologized. Now to get Hansen to do the same...

-x-x-x-x-

Herc found the office that was marked "PR" and entered without knocking.

Alan looked up. "Hullo, there."

"We had to discuss what questions were off limits?"

The older man nodded, pulled out a pen and paper.

Herc took the seat in front of the desk and patiently told the man everything he did not want discussed or brought up. He made sure to cover some things he knew his son would never mention, but would still prefer remain undiscussed.

Alan nodded. "Thank you."

Herc nodded back and made his escape. He wasn't sure why, but the man made him uncomfortable. Then again, it might have been the way his granddaughter—also a Guide—had little to say to the man. That generally was a good indicator for other Guides that the person was not someone to spend time with, if it was avoidable. He was half tempted to accompany his son, but decided it was best he didn't.

-x-x-x-x-

All of the other pilots stopped in during the day, exempting the Vulcan pilots, who sent a list. It wasn't thought the two would be able to go to the press conference but it was always good to be prepared as opposed to taken by surprise.

Alan sighed as he considered the lists, which he'd typed up and organized several different ways. The first was by person, the second was by similarity. The third was by difficulty of preventing the question. Unfortunately, he knew already that some of them would be asked, regardless of what he did. And he would have to permit them. But, in doing so, it would allow him to prevent the others. It was a trade off, a careful balancing act...he just had to make sure the worst of the questions ended up in the "off limits if you want access to the pilots" pile.

With another small sigh, he resumed his work.

And wished, for the thousandth time, that he'd found the letter his daughter had left for him in the unlikely event he would end up with guardianship of the twins earlier. It would have been of great help; it would also have meant he'd actually have a relationship with his granddaughter. And a much less strained one with his grandson.

For now, however, he would have to settle for doing his best to protect them and their friends. Trial by public opinion was never enjoyable, even if you had saved the damn world. There was no way to please everyone; there would be those who would be demanding to know why it wasn't done earlier, the conspiracy theorists...it would just not be pleasant. And he was well aware those he was working to protect had every reason to be short tempered or incredulous in terms of a lot of those theories.

Then again, not everyone was privy to the majority of the life stories of the pilots.

Everyone knew about Angela Hansen, not to mention Yancy Becket. But that wouldn't stop the theories, the rumors, the nastiness. It would be his job to deflect the worst of it as best he could and keep them all in as good a light as possible. And based on what he knew of the Hansens' tempers, that would take doing.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh yawned, stretched and prodded Cheung awake.

Cheung glowered fiercely, but followed him to collect breakfast for the group.

When they returned, Mako and Hu had joined them; Moira and Jin were both up, though awake was debatable. 

The group settled into their usual morning routine, but with the knowledge that this was possibly the second to last day that things would be "normal" for a bit. The looming press conference weighed on all of them; things could go either way.

"Why don't we save meditation for the afternoon this time?" Moira suggested as they finished breakfast.

"Sounds sound." Raleigh murmured as the others agreed.

"We could all use a work out." Jin agreed, nerves humming from his impending visit to Alan.

The sparring began and was a bit more vicious than usual, presumably due to nerves. One by one, after a match, each pilot meandered out and over to where Alan's office was located. All returned quiet and subdued. Mako, after her turn, tossed each person a water bottle as they came back in. Moira would give them an empathic or physical hug then pester them into taking at least one piece of candy. From there, the person would be directed to join the next match.

By lunch time, everyone had perked back up.

"We eatin' here or we goin' to the caf so they stop giving us glowers?" Moira asked as she casually stretched.

As one, the other four turned to Raleigh.

"Uh. Caf, I guess." He murmured, not sure why all eyes were on him.

The others rose and led the way; he found himself swept along. And tried to ignore that he would be facing Herc Hansen in about an hour and a half's time.

The Kaidanovskys nodded a greeting; he nodded back, then followed the small group to the food area. The six returned to the tables, claimed one by the Kaidanovskys and settled in.

Not long after, Chance and Herc entered, talking, and headed to grab some grub. Cor, trailed by Chuck, followed behind them.

"So what's the big deal with you being shorter?" Chuck asked. "It's not like you're Newt's height or anyth..." He trailed off, then backed up a step.

Cor had stopped dead; the normal "fuck off" vibe he emanated got about ten times worse; when he turned around to face the redhead, his face was completely and terrifyingly blank.

When he spoke, his voice was soft. "What did you just say, Hansen?"

The redhead took another step back; he wasn't sure what exactly about what he said had irritated the other Guide. But everything in him was screaming at him to get the hell away before the older Guide lashed out.

"I. Wanted to know." He managed out, eyes on Cor; he fought the urge to project his feelings, in the hope that they would help Cor to understand he...hadn't meant to offend. He was just wondering. And...he'd never admit it. Ever. But a little...worried. Almost. 

Chance hugged Cor from behind. "Hey. Calm down."

Cor tensed, eyes now on Chance; he saw only concern, so he relaxed.

"M fine." He murmured.

His Sentinel raised an eyebrow but didn't comment otherwise. Cor flicked his eyes towards the food; Chance frowned, but nodded and obligingly scampered back off to join Herc.

The Guide returned his attention to Chuck. "If you repeat that when he's within earshot, I will hurt you."

Chuck nodded, then smothered a curse when he accidentally did project for a moment.

Cor eyed him. "...try thinking before you speak." He sounded slightly mollified.

"You said it didn't bother you." The redhead responded before he could stop himself.

"It doesn't. But it does bother him." Cor tilted his head in Chance's direction. 

"Which is why you..."

"Yes." Cor confirmed flatly. "I reiterate: think before you speak. Not just when talking to me. Everyone."

Involuntarily, Chuck's gaze wandered to Raleigh; he smothered a flinch when he realized his Sentinel had watched the whole thing. On one hand, the blond had stayed out of it. Which was good. On the other...he stayed out of it. Just like he stayed away from Chuck in general.

"Him too." The older Guide murmured. "Him especially, even."

The redhead nodded jerkily.

"Concern and curiosity are not bad things. Expressing them like a fuckwit is. And as much as you may annoy me at times, you are not stupid. Emotionally stunted, yes, but there's a reason for that."

Chuck stiffened, about to snap at him, when he realized all he could sense from the other man was a combination of forced-calm and attempted disinterest.

"Now. Food?" The calm was icy, with the barest hint of the earlier anger.

The redhead decided that for right now, he'd had enough. And led the way to where Herc and Chance were without another word. Cor followed, though he could sense the other man calming. He'd an idea that putting himself in a slightly vulnerable position—back to Cor, where he could strike and Chuck wouldn't know until after he'd hit—had something to do with it.

Raleigh all but vibrated out of his chair as he watched the two.

Mako sighed. "We shall spar after lunch?"

"Da." Aleksis stated. Sasha nodded.

The triplets shrugged; Moira hmmed; Raleigh frowned slightly.

"You seem in need of a fight, Becket boy." Sasha supplied readily.

"And you are not alone." Aleksis added, grin similar to the predatory one that was normally on Sasha's face.

He nodded; he could live with that. And Sasha was terrifying; Aleksis was just as good. They'd do nicely for a spar.

"Kwoon?" He offered.

They exchanged glances, then raised their eyebrows at him. "Where else?"

"...never mind. Kwoon's good." Raleigh mumbled. "But I have to face Herc first."

Aleksis shook his head. "Was nice knowing you." He offered.

Raleigh sighed, then allowed himself to be prodded into eating.

-x-x-x-x-

He felt supported, almost, as he walked to the Kwoon with Mako, the triplets, the Kaidanovskys and Moira. When they all streamed into the Kwoon, the group that had entered with him made a point to stay on "his" side, though Hu seemed to drift a little closer to the middle.

"Thanks." He mouthed; Mako nodded. Moira gave him a double thumbs up, then made a face at someone behind him. By now he'd learned what a thumbs up meant to an Australian; he gave her a flat look before he turned to face Herc.

Chance, Chuck and Cor settled on Herc's side of the room, though Cor also seemed to stray more towards the middle.

Herc gave him a grin that had too many teeth for a human—not a Guide, which is what he would have thought a week or so ago—but a human in general, then tossed him the staff.

Raleigh caught it and then remembered that Chuck was here. In this room. That was most certainly not designed with keeping oneself at least five feet from another person at all times. Fuck. That meant he'd _have_ to stay on his side of the room or risk zoning, on top of Herc handing him his ass in front of everyone. And while he was a lot more used to losing or drawing now—Mako, Jin, Cheung and Moira pulled no punches and their best was as good as, if not better, than his—he still disliked the thought of losing, not to mention losing face. And it wasn't because Herc was a Guide. Mako and Moira had happily handed him his ass and he accepted it, no problems. 

...perhaps it had something to do with—

 _Shit._ Raleigh just barely dodged the initial strike from Herc; he'd been so busy analyzing that the Aussie had gotten impatient and started the match. From there, Herc had him on the ropes and he damn well knew it, if the smirk was any indication.

The fact that he couldn't just focus entirely on the fight itself made it even worse; no, he had to make sure he stayed on his "side", away from Chuck. Which meant Herc was dominating moreso than he would be in general, because on top of being distracted from the start, he was unable to focus on just the fight. Any time he actually conducted a proper defense and then switched to the offensive, he had to mind how far back he pushed Herc, whereas the Guide had no such compunctions.

The first round ended with Raleigh staff-less; Herc smirking down at him, the tip of his staff pressed into the dimple at the base of his throat. He realized, suddenly, what it must have been like for Chuck. All those matches, all those losses, all those watching.

After a moment, Herc let him up, someone else handed him back the staff and round two began.

And ended about two seconds later, with him on his back, staring up at the Guide with what he knew was a dumbfounded expression.

Rinse, lather, repeat for rounds three and four.

Round five was when Herc turned creative. And when Raleigh knew he was royally fucked, as opposed to just fucked. Because it seemed that before the Aussie had been content to just knock him on his ass in front of everyone.

Okay, yeah. He could take that, he deserved it. After what he'd said. And he couldn't blame the man for wanting revenge after the number of defeats and the humiliation Chuck had suffered through them that culminated in probably one of the worst things he could have said to him. But now? Now Herc seemed to be trying to force him onto his side—closer to Chuck. Which would not end well, not at all.

With his luck, he'd zone and the other pilot wouldn't notice until after he hit him. Hard enough to break something. ...on the bright side, it might get him out of the press conference. On the not-so-bright side, he was pretty sure Mako and Moira would not be happy. And they were terrifying enough when one was pissed—he wasn't so sure he ever wanted to see them both angry at the same time again. Particularly not if they had the same target.

He managed to keep himself well on his side of the room, but then he did what he'd been trying to avoid the entire fight. He got too into it, too focused on the fight itself and not on his surroundings. Raleigh realized he'd fucked up when the staff in his hands suddenly felt like a stick with its bark removed instead of the smooth, polished staff it was.

The clack of the staves meeting was what did it.

Herc, who'd disengaged after Raleigh's block, paused; the Sentinel wasn't moving.

"Becket?" Chuck didn't wait for a reply; he was already moving closer. 

Cor facepalmed, then shook his head; Chance gave him a 'want me to—?' look; Cor sighed but shook his head, then motioned to the others.

Mako intercepted Chuck and told him, in no uncertain terms, that if he tried to pull Raleigh from his zone like that, he was more liable to worsen it. She told him to back off and observe; his hands balled into fists but he did as requested, though not before snarling something—presumably a curse—at her in Japanese. That had Moira helping Cheung and Jin keep Hu from going after the little shit.

She drew him from his zone near-effortlessly; confused blue eyes blinked once, before it all rushed back.

"...I zoned?"

Mako nodded before returning to Hu, who calmed quickly, though he was still glowering in Chuck's direction.

Herc considered him for a moment; his test had proven what he'd asked Moira about. But now he had to figure out a way to get the two to talk, let alone allow Raleigh to imprint so he'd be able to be in Chuck's presence without his senses spiking. "Let's—"

"No." The blond stated. "We're finishing the last round."

Herc didn't need to be an empath, let alone a Guide, to know that the Kaidanovskys were not happy. Their faces were blank but, to those who knew them, their protective anger was palpable. He also didn't need to turn around to know that Chuck was fuming and liable to lash out if the match went on. Then he looked to Becket, who was pale but determined. 

"...alright."

"If you zone again, we go to the head Guide. Aye?" That was Moira.

Raleigh nodded stiffly before he struck at Herc; the surprised Guide barely had time to form a proper block.

The final round was much less one-sided that the first four had been but still ended in victory for Herc. Chuck gave him a look before he stalked off, Max's leash in hand. The bulldog trotted to keep up with his master and made a small whining sound; he'd always been very attuned to Chuck's moods. The older Aussie smothered a sigh; he'd deal with his offspring later.

He turned, about to offer Becket a hand up, to find the other man was already on his feet.

"We'll handle this." Cor murmured. "I think the one you need talk to right now..."

"Is Chuck." Herc finished before he followed the broadcasting anger-frustration to its source.

-x-x-x-x- 

As predicted, Hermann had joined them in paperwork hell. Also as predicted, his Sentinels followed. Tendo ended up not getting around to hiding the coffee, as it had become necessary for him to function. Newt, to his surprise, didn't touch the stuff but was as bouncy as usual.

Vanessa, in contrast, was a quiet, competent and thorough worker. Hermann would absently touch one or the other every so often; those touches would be returned. It seemed like the three had no idea and it, honestly, fascinated Tendo.

He'd grown up on stories about Guides and Sentinels; had always been intrigued. To see a triad bond, a functioning one, in front of him? Was not only a shock but a marvel.

When he glanced at them again, Hermann's eyes were on him; he hurriedly looked away.

Newt laughed. "You're not the first to be curious, man."

When he looked up again, Newt's face was friendly and open; Vanessa was smiling; Hermann looked exasperated, but in a fond way.

Tendo just gave a small shrug before returning his attention to his paperwork.

"Any questions, you can ask. As one curious mind to another." Newt offered. Vanessa nodded; Herman sighed, but did the same.

The J-Tech Chief returned it, unsure how this had happened but not unhappy with the development.

Pentecost observed and smothered a small smile. 

It was always nice to see his people getting along, especially without any interference from him.

-x-x-x-x-

"Chuck." Herc murmured.

Chuck didn't look up, but projected a tangled snarl of frustration-hurt-anger- _why_ at him.

He didn't wince but felt physically sick for a moment as he looked at his son, the one who bore the scars; the issues; the tangled, twisted dichotomy between not-a-Guide and yet still wanting to be one that also marked him. Part of it was due to outside influences, ones he could not have done much against. But a larger part was due to Chuck's imitation of his behaviors. Of the behaviors he learned and made part of himself in order to survive living under the roof of a man who thought Guides were useless unless they were female.

His own father had been a 'normal'. But that hadn't stopped him from railing against everything that was "wrong", from male Guides to homosexuals. And seeing as female Sentinels were rare, it was likely that Herc's Sentinel would be male.

So he was twice a failure in his father's eyes.

Never mind that if he, too, had been a Sentinel, he and Scott would have probably fought and fought and fought until only one was left. Never mind that, if by some miracle the two had managed to get on, the other would be powerless to help, to intercede, if the other had zoned. Never mind that he had saved Scott's life more times than he cared to mention, never mind that without him Scott would not have survived being a Sentinel for more than a few days.

That hadn't mattered to his father. All that mattered was his son was a "bloody poofter". (A homophobe and an odigophobe all in one. Hadn't he hit the jackpot.)

So he'd learned, early on, not to let his father catch him helping Scott. Not to let him catch him meditating. Or training. Or let on that he knew there was a Guide center he could escape to if things got too bad.

Scott disagreed. Scott wanted him to leave as soon as beating was piled on top of the verbal and emotional abuse. But if he'd left, then who would help Scott?

No one. That's who. His fuck muppet of a father wouldn't contact someone, anyone, to come help Scott. Then he'd sit there and wonder why his "tough Sentinel son" slipped into a coma and died. So he'd stuck it out, stayed in that hellhole.

Learned to act like a "normal" human; learned to suppress any and all Guide instincts unless it was just him and Scott. And then eventually he'd gotten free—Scott had come with him—and they'd never looked back. From there, he slowly learned to trust his Guide instincts, how to blend in and act like a normal Guide. Not like one who'd been abused since the day his father had discovered what he was.

The one who'd helped him with that? Was the daughter of a Guide center owner, Angela Robinson. She was a Guide herself. And while it took time before he trusted her enough to tell her the whole story, she was with him every step of the way as he learned how to be a real Guide. Learned not to be ashamed of what he was. As was Scott. He'd honestly expected the two to pair off, but she'd shocked him when she admitted the one she had a bit of a thing for was him.

That had been the happiest point in his life, honestly. Learning to be a Guide—even if it was unlikely he'd ever meet his Sentinel. Nor did he want to, not with Angela around—and learning what it was to live. As time had passed, the three remained close; Scott had been the best man at their wedding. And was named their bawling red scrap of humanity's godfather to boot.

It hadn't been perfect, not by a long shot, but it was better, so much better, than what had been his life up until then. At some point he'd joined the RAF, alongside his brother. They'd been hesitant to take an unbound Sentinel, but once they learned his brother, who was also a Guide, would be assigned to the same wing, the mutters died down. He was gone a lot more often, but he and Scott still visited and stayed with Angela and little Chaz— _Chuck_ , she'd jokingly admonish and their son would coo happily—as often as they could.

It all came crashing down when Scissure attacked. Scott had been grounded because of a zone earlier that day so there was only one. Only one he could save. And while it hadn't been a choice, the knowledge that the woman who taught him what normal life was like was gone because he couldn't save both her and their son...it burned.

But then there was a period of almost numbness. His brother joined him, backed him up against the brass. They made it through the program, became pilots. But then his brother cracked, his son joined the program and it all went to hell a second time.

He drew upon those habits and mannerisms he'd had to adopt growing up. That was how he got taken seriously, how he dealt with anyone making cracks about him being a Guide. But he knew, had had time to be normal, be a Guide, be himself. Had had the time to train, to explore, to do as he liked without the whole world watching.

His son had none of that. He'd adopted the attitudes, the mannerisms—and unknowingly the problems that came with them. But he didn't have that time of normalcy to fall back on; the last time his life had been anywhere near normal was prior to him being ten years of age.

Which was part of the problem now.

Herc could, if he wanted to, if he had to, shed those mannerisms. But beyond them, Chuck had nothing. He was a mix up of the desire to be the Guide of his Sentinel, of wanting to learn but of also scorning all that had anything to do with Guides, including the training. So now he was a mess, because he'd spent the larger portion of his life being as much unlike what he so badly wanted to be now as he could. Part of him wanted to just adapt, just change and the hell with others' opinions. But another part still clung to what had allowed him to pilot, even at the age of sixteen.

Herc could sense all this, could understand it, completely. But his son didn't want to talk and yet did. Didn't want to Guide and yet did. Didn't want to learn the training and yet wanted to have the fine control that he, Mako, Cor, Moira...any number of other Guides had. But until he decided what it was he wanted, there was no true help Herc could give him.

The other man sighed softly and knelt, so their eyes would be level, if his son looked up. He also adjusted his shielding so it was more like that of a normal Guide's.

"Chuck."

His son's head jolted up and he stared at his father; he was projecting now, probably unaware of it.

"Do you think any less of me for being able to do this?" He asked softly.

"I want to." The redhead managed out.

Herc resisted the urge to close his eyes and shoved the thought of what Angela would have to say about how he'd raised their son away.

"But..." He trailed off and just shook his head.

"You want to be able to do it too. But you also want to scorn everyone that does, for being the normal stereotypical Guide. The one who acts as expected, who plays into what all those bigoted Sentinels say." He murmured. "Just like right now all you want is a hug, but as the Guide who's spent so long denying he is one, you view it as a sign of weakness. And automatically worry that if anyone would find out, you'd lose your place. No longer a pilot."

The absolute devastation on his son's face hurt more than the thought of how angry Angela would be. Chuck looked down and away, still trying to hide and ended up pulling Max onto his lap. The dog whined, pawing at him; he just held the pup, trying to make sense of his warring desires.

After a few moments, a shaking hand reached out. Grabbed Herc's sleeve. Tugged.

He waited until his son would meet his eyes. The smallest of nods.

Herc drew his son into a hug. 

Chuck didn't hug back; he still held Max, but he did allow himself to lean against his father.

As he did his best to comfort his son, he had an inkling, for the first time, of what it must have been like for Scott and Angela when they worked with him. Helped him learn that being a Guide, having pride in himself for what he was...wasn't bad. Now he'd have to do the same for his son. If nothing else, he'd had two amazing teachers. The least he could do was follow their example.

-x-x-x-x-

He didn't know how long he sat there, holding his son, before he realized someone else was near. He looked up and found Becket, hovering anxiously. 

For a moment, he projected to Becket. The blond hesitated, but nodded. With a final glance at Chuck, he left, trusting that he would be able to handle his son.

Raleigh sighed softly once he was out of earshot. He'd all but panicked when he'd gotten a sudden flash of pain and confusion from Chuck; feared the worst and took off without a word to anyone else in the Kwoon. 

It was with some hesitance he re-entered it. 

Sasha and Aleksis eyed him, then nodded to him. He nodded back.

Moira winked at him; Mako and Hu glanced at him, but said nothing. 

Jin and Cheung both snuck looks at him in between dodging the other's punches, but also said nothing.

Chance smirked at him. "So y've learned?"

 _Learned...?_ His gaze darted to Mako, then Moira as it clicked. "I still don't like Guides in combat." He paused, ignoring the fact that the smirk was swapped for narrowed eyes. "But I know they can fight. And some of them—" His eyes slid from Mako, to Moira, to Cor. "Can do it better than I can."

Chance smiled. "Good."

It was Cor's turn to smirk. "Doesn't mean you're getting out of a few rounds with me, Becket."

"You're doomed." Chance and Moira said as one, then laughed.

"I don't doubt it." Raleigh mumbled, but he was smiling slightly.

Sasha simply arched an eyebrow at him as Cheung and Jin finished their match.

He paused for a moment, then nodded. She rose and joined him; Raleigh took a breath and the match began.

-x-x-x-x-

Newt stacked the pile of paperwork he'd vanquished and sighed. This was reminding him far too much of the one time he decided to go for three doctorates at once. Two was alright; he'd managed that and managed it well. But three at once had pushed it, been a little harder than he expected.

Vanessa offered him a smile, then a kiss on the cheek.

 _No._ He decided as he went for the next stack. _This wasn't the same._

Hermann nudged him absently with his knee, the contact both soothing and grounding.

When he happened to glance over at Tendo, he found the man staring again.

"Any questions, happy to answer." He repeated with a slight grin.

"What's it like?" Tendo finally asked when Stacker disappeared for a few moments.

"What's what like?" Vanessa covered a yawn.

"Being bound to two other people."

"Well. It makes things more complicated." Vanessa murmured.

"But simpler, at the same time." Newt added.

"It makes it easier to keep tabs on both of them." Hermann muttered; both Sentinels grinned and hugged him. He huffed, but put an arm around both. The three turned their gazes to the other man, to find that he seemed thoughtful, rather than dismissive or disgusted.

"So why so curious?" Newt yawned.

"I grew up on stories of Sentinels and Guides." The J-Tech Chief admitted after a moment's pause.

"Really?" He pushed his glasses up on his nose. 

"Do tell." She murmured; Hermann nodded.

All three kept up with their paperwork, no problems. Tendo shrugged, then started on the favorite story of his childhood.

-x-x-x-x-

Eventually Chuck pushed away; Herc let him.

"If you're so okay with this. So damn at home with it. How come—" He broke off, not sure how to word it and not really caring.

His father sighed softly. "It took me a good six years to get used to this, get used to being a Guide. Ran away from home when I was fifteen; your uncle Scott was seventeen, but he came too. It wasn't until I was your age that I was anywhere near comfortable with it. An' the only reason I managed it was because of Scott. And your mum."

Chuck didn't even have to ask the next question; his face said it all. _Why me?_

"It wasn't a choice. You're my son—our son. Angie never would've forgave me." He paused. "I never would've forgave me."

"And uncle Scott?" His son's voice was even, but his eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

"Had a zone earlier that day. Flight protocols demanded he not be in the air until the day after it." Herc murmured.

A strangled noise escaped Chuck as he tried to blink away the tears; ended up swiping his sleeve across his eyes, then biting his lip. Trying to use pain as a distraction.

Herc sat next to him, projecting calm and comfort and warmth and safety as he pressed his face into his knees and lost the battle to keep his tears at bay. Max cuddled between the two, nudging Chuck's arm and making sure his master knew he was there.

-x-x-x-x-

Cor was vicious; not as bad as Herc, but still one hell of an opponent. However, it was easier to fight him because Chuck wasn't here, which meant he could focus his all on the fight and not where in the room he was. He did keep an eye on Chance, but he seemed to have no problems; not even when Raleigh managed to knock Cor on his ass and disarm him. (That only happened once. And Raleigh had a feeling it wouldn't again. Ever.)

Mako smiled. "Shall we break for dinner?"

Cor glowered but nodded. "Fine. Save your copilot." His eyes narrowed. "For now."

"Oh, enough. You have plenty of time to try to whack him with a stick later." Moira waved him off.

"Try? There is no 'try', there is only—"

"Do or do not." Raleigh cut in, grinning. "I am old enough to have seen that, y'know."

Cor growled at him; Chance cracked up at the dumbfounded look on Raleigh's face.

"Alright, y'screamin' yobos. Dinner. Mess. Now." Moira, with help from Mako and Sasha, chivvied them all out of the Kwoon and in the direction of the cafeteria.

When they got there, after grabbing food, they pushed a few tables together. And there were two spots pointedly left empty, right by one another. 

Herc led the way in, Chuck following; Max was close on his heels. Cor waved them over after they'd nabbed food.

Raleigh was discreetly watching Chuck the entire time. He felt like a bit of a creeper, but...he was concerned. For all he was sitting on the other end of the table.

Moira nudged him.

"Hm?" He asked.

"D'you wanna spar more? Or try to reinstate movie night?"

He frowned, pondering, as the others chimed in.

Herc raised an eyebrow as he took one of the seats; Chuck took the other.

"Movie night or more sparring." Moira repeated. "And, obviously, you two are welcome."

Herc nodded but Chuck looked taken aback, though he quickly schooled his face to blankness.

"What would the movie be?" Chuck asked stiffly after several moments of debate.

"HP one." Jin replied.

Both Chuck and Mako stared at him.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Moira clarified.

"It any good?" Was the follow up question.

"You should not have asked that. You _really_ should not have asked that." Chance mumbled.

Both Moira and Jin stared at Chuck; Raleigh avoided staring at him but was making a definite 'wha?' face.

"It's official." Jin stated.

"Movie night." Moira agreed with a nod.

"Are there Russians?" Sasha asked.

"Nope. ...there's Bulgarians in the fourth book/movie though." Moira responded.

"Movie night." Aleksis agreed.

-x-x-x-x-

All settled into place as the previews began to play.

"Is it normal?" Raleigh hissed to Moira.

"What normal?" She returned, barely moving her lips.

"The. The worrying thing."

"Worrying? Or _feeling_?" She murmured.

"...both." He grumbled as the triplets bickered over popcorn—though they made sure Mako had some first.

Cor and Chance were observing and sipping cocoa—probably purloined from Moira.

Sasha and Aleksis were swapping candies; Herc was handed one, to his surprise.

Chuck was petting Max, though he kept glancing at them every so often.

"With that one, you have plenty to worry about. As far as feeling goes...depends on what you feel. The fact that he's **your** Guide is only meant to make bonding and falling for one another easier. But it doesn't actually make you fall in love, if that's what you're asking."

Raleigh nodded, relieved when she didn't press further. He turned his attention to the movie, though he did notice that Chuck kept glancing at him...at least until the movie sucked him in. He had to hide a smile, at that. Harry Potter was for pretty much everyone, including his Guide.

-x-x-x-x-

The next day dawned entirely too early for his liking. The press-whatever-they-were-calling-it was tomorrow. And he was beyond unprepared for it. Before, he'd just played the part of happy, not-quite-dopey younger brother. The press had lapped it up, hook, line, sinker. Now, though...he was older. And had lost his brother.

He paused on the way to the complex, the continued; he wasn't sure if the fact that the thought of Yancy no longer caused him to zone when by himself was a good or bad thing. On one hand, it probably meant he was healing, which he guessed was a good thing. But it also felt like...almost like he was betraying his brother's memory, somehow. ...then again, Yance would've been the first to pull Raleigh from a zone. Or at least he thought he would...

He opened the door to find Moira, who was forward rolling her way across the mat; he entered the room, closing the door near-soundlessly, and watched her then backward roll back. Rolling became cartwheels, then a handstand, then...something he didn't know what it was called.

"You do this every morning?" Raleigh asked, after he was certain she wouldn't hurt herself if startled.

"Not this exactly." She responded, grinning, before simply walking across the mat; she snagged a towel, wiping the sweat from her face, then grabbed a water bottle before flopping down beside him. "It's good to vary it, y'know."

He nodded. "But...what was that last one?"

Moira began to stretch. "Back walkover." She yawned into her arm. "If you jog 'round a few times, you can join me in stretching."

Raleigh paused, then did so; as he was on his second lap, Jin and Cheung turned up. The looked between him and Moira, then joined him in his laps. He ended up doing a couple extra, then sat by her again. The two settled down by them and the four stretched and chatted sleepily.

It was interrupted when Mako and Hu walked in, carrying breakfast.

"Huzzah!" Moira mumbled before smothering another yawn.

Mako smiled, then joined them; Hu sank down beside her. There was a brief silence as they all dug in.

"Starting without us?" Hu asked.

"Nah." Raleigh mumbled through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed before continuing, "Just a warm up and stretch."

"Lets do what we did yesterday." Jin commented. "Meditation in the afternoon."

"...we never got around to it." Moira reminded him with a sigh. "Then again, meeting up with everyone in the Kwoon...kinda sounds like fun."

"We should meditate. Since we missed yesterday."

Reluctantly, they agreed with Mako and spent the morning doing so. By the time lunch rolled around, all were jittery with nerves; even Moira, who had nothing to fear.

"Alright, food, then Kwoon. Yeah?"

"Yes." Mako murmured, then led the way to grab food.

-x-x-x-x-

The Kaidanovskys, the Hansens, Chance and Cor were all at the table when they got there. Raleigh swore mentally, as Chuck was in the fucking middle of the table, so even if he sat on the end, he was still too close. But he didn't want to start anything; not now. He was too keyed up to begin with.

"Problem?" Chuck asked when he paused, debating where to sit.

"No." He replied and sat between Moira and Mako.

Chuck stiffened but said nothing; Herc studiously kept his eyes on his food.

Lunch was a quiet affair; all headed to the Kwoon afterwards.

Raleigh found himself facing Herc again; got his ass handed to him again. This time, thankfully, he was able to avoid zoning, even though the Guide managed to force him within five feet of Chuck. That was the bout that ended the quickest. The other man's eyes were calculating as they separated and let two others step up.

He wasn't sure what to make of it, honestly. His prior "dating" experiences—if they could be called that—were mostly limited to one-night stands. Seduce, fuck, move along. He'd tried dating, a few times between all that, but it never ended well. The other person normally either lost interest, wanted a threesome with him and his brother, had been trying to use him for his fame or freaked out about the mortality rates of pilots. After having his heart stomped on a few times, he decided meaningless sex and the stress relief it brought with it was the way to go. And he'd stuck with it.

So he had little to no experience with protective family members. He knew damn well that Herc was nothing if not protective of Chuck and understandably so. But Raleigh wasn't out to hurt him. At this point, actually, he'd settle for being able to be within a five-foot radius of the redhead and not have his senses freak the fuck out. (Then again, partially his fault for not wanting to discuss it with anyone other than Moira. But after his experience with the not-doctor from the Icebox, he was pretty sure no one could blame him...provided they actually knew, anyway.)

When he glanced in the younger Aussie's direction, he was startled to find that he was watching him. Their eyes met briefly but he looked away. He hadn't really expected an apology for what he'd said about Yancy. ...then again, even if the redhead had been trying, he'd been all but running before his was in earshot, so...he didn't know. He doubted the Aussie was interested, anyway. It was Mako who'd brought him from his zone, yesterday.

Perhaps Chuck just wasn't into the whole Guide thing. After the shit he'd endured simply for being one, Raleigh couldn't blame him. Didn't make it much easier to deal with, the idea his own damn Guide didn't want him, but he could understand. 

"I can hear you thinking from across the room, mate." Moira grumbled as she flopped down beside him.

"Oh?"

"Calm down. I get that you don't really know what you want, let alone what he's planning, if he's planning anything. But you need to chill. Because you do not want to go into the interview tomorrow stressing over this."

He made a face but nodded. The blond was about to start a conversation when Sasha interrupted; Aleksis began to speak with Moira.

The next thing he knew, Sasha told him she'd talk to him later and walked out.

The only other person left in the room was Chuck. And he was coming closer.

 _Fuck._ Raleigh stumbled to his feet, then fought the urge to swear verbally as sight dialed up. Before he could zone, Chuck put a hand on his shoulder; his senses stopped freaking out. _What the fuck?_

"Dad." Was the clipped explanation.

"I thought he still wanted to hand me my ass and restore the honor of all Guides." Raleigh retorted, then mentally punched himself. His opinion had changed but mouthing off the way he was...well, it wasn't the best way to show that.

"He does."

The blond finally met green eyes with his own blue.

There was conflict there; Chuck was struggling with something and he was willing to bet it was something other than whether or not to apologize. He waited for a few moments but before he could even open his mouth, the Aussie stormed off, muttering curses.

He staggered as sight came online, then hurriedly dialed it back down; by then, Chuck was out of range.

"...that was weird." Moira gave voice to his thoughts from the doorway.

"Yeah." Raleigh muttered, then fell into step with her as they made their way to dinner. "Aleksis lured you away?"

"You make that sound much worse than it was."

He made a strangled noise. "What is it with you?"

She giggled. "Honestly? I just like watching people's eyes bug out when they realize I'm hardly sweetness and innocent and light like 'Guides ought to be'. It's fun."

The blond shook his head at her, but couldn't hide his smile. She reminded him a bit of himself, when he was younger.

"At any rate, the others are probably wondering where we both disappeared to. Less go!"

"What kind of word is 'less'?" He grumbled but kept pace with her as she ran up the hall.

"The opposite of more!"

Okay, he guessed he had walked into that one.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck spotted them as he drifted towards the mess. Running up the hall, laughing, cheeks flushed. Snarking but without the edge, the bite that was present whenever _he_ tried to talk to Raleigh.

"Oh, hey." 

Fuck. They saw him.

"Headed to dinner?"

Raleigh's eyes were on him, but he seemed more curious than angry.

Chuck nodded stiffly.

She glanced to Raleigh, who gave a minute shrug.

"Walk with us, then? Or, run, rather."

"Run?" He repeated.

"Yes. Run. Because the one who danish'd you?" She did a little finger wave, then took off. He snarled a curse and tried to catch her. It had taken _days_ to get that fuckin' jellied fruit smell off him. Raleigh, he noticed, was lagging behind; he seemed to be fighting the urge to laugh.

"Put her up to it, did you?" He snapped.

"Nope!" Moira called. "Mako got to take a swing at you. So I did something else."

"That was..."

"In my defense." Raleigh finished, still fighting the urge to smile.

"You're on, Rowan." The redhead growled.

"Better idea. I'll spar with you, after the press conference." _"Even though I'll get my ass kicked."_

Both pilots stiffened.

"Right." Chuck muttered.

"We saved the world. What more do they want?" Raleigh joked feebly. He still wasn't completely okay with Chuck, let alone what he'd said...but...he was willing to be civil. At least. They'd need a united front for tomorrow anyway. ...and he was still a little over five feet from the Aussie, so his senses were still under his control.

"Probably for a time machine so we can go do that before any of this happened." Moira muttered. "Anyway, lets go before they come looking for us. Or all the good food is gone."

Chuck glowered at her. "What's with yer accent?"

She just grinned. "That's a story for another time."

-x-x-x-x-

"Beginnin' t' think you got lost." Herc informed them flatly when the three took the remaining seats.

Chuck stiffened and kept his eyes on his food.

His dad frowned; Sasha's look was positively glacial.

"Things are cleared up now, da?" Aleksis rumbled.

"Not really." Raleigh murmured with a sigh. "But we'll keep it together for the press, yeah?"

Chuck nodded tightly, ignoring the looks the rest of the table were shooting at him. He decided to retreat and grab a drink; hoped a conversation would start in his absence. When he returned, he wasn't paying attention and crashed into Moira, drink drenching the front of her shirt.

Chance made a sound not unlike a growl; Cor quickly latched onto him.

Moira just considered him for a moment before shrugging. "I guess turnabout is fair play." 

"...and how did he find out you were the one who danish'd him?" Chance asked sharply.

"Simple, I told him." From there, she directed the conversation toward the one topic everyone had something to say about: the interviews tomorrow. 

Chuck sank back into his seat; it had been an accident but now the others thought it wasn't, probably including Raleigh, which would make apologizing if he could ever get the fucking words out that much harder because he'd be angry and less likely to listen and—

"You're projecting." Came the quiet murmur.

He started, then noticed that Raleigh's metal fork was now squashed into a useless shape; the man himself was visibly struggling for control. Without thinking, he reached out using his empathy; the blond closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he seemed much calmer.

"Thanks." Was the clipped reply.

Chuck just nodded.

Moira nudged Raleigh. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He looked to his fork. "Don't think this is, though." His gaze turned to Chuck. "It was an accident. Wasn't it?"

Stunned, he just nodded again.

"You projected." Moira explained. "Your empathy is...on par with mine, if not stronger."

"Why? Because you're some sort of prodigy?" The redhead snapped.

"No. Alright, y'know how Sentinels normally come online due to trauma? Well, trauma does something to Guides, too. It strengthens their empathy. Seeing as my Sentinel is dead, well...that's why mine's strong. But your Sentinel is right here." She pointed at Raleigh. "So, that's why..."

He stiffened as he realized what probably caused it. His mum's death could have done it, easily.

"I'm not askin'." She murmured before he could snap at her again. "I'm just sayin'."

That was when he noticed that she was sort-of projecting herself.

"What're y'doin'?" He asked.

She facepalmed. "Cor seriously needs to get his arse in gear when it comes to training you if you can't tell what that is."

Chuck scowled, then focused. "You're...grounding...Raleigh?"

He got a quick jolt of surprise from the blond.

She just smiled. "Not bad. Also, you, with the squish-fork. Calm."

The redhead's eyes all but bugged out when Raleigh stuck his tongue out at her; she just flicked a candy at him, which bounced off his forehead. He huffed, but stuffed it in his pocket nonetheless. What he felt from them, now that he was paying attention, was an easy camaraderie, nothing more.

As dinner went on, though, Moira began to pale. Raleigh glowered at her; she just gave him her best bitchface back. Chuck, sitting in between them, wanted to simultaneously tell them to knock that shit off but also ask why the hell Raleigh needed to be grounded like he was using his senses.

The redhead worried part of his lip between his teeth as dinner wound down. From where he sat, Raleigh blocked off most of the others from view; he could sense their displeasure, now that he was using his empathy, but it was muted. Then again, it was also difficult. He was used to controlling it, sure, and he could use it as necessary but it felt weird as fuck. Training had been difficult but now he was using it "just because". For a moment, the fear of not being permitted to pilot sprung to the fore; he shoved it down, then reminded himself that the only jaeger left was Cherno. And he sure as hell wasn't getting in that one.

Raleigh's eyes lingered on him for a moment before he and Moira bowed out, leaving.

Now the hostility and annoyance was full force. He quickly left, heading for his room. He...wanted to apologize. Really. But the words wouldn't come. And he knew damn well that excuse wasn't gonna work on anyone, let alone his father. But they'd...he'd froze, alright? Raleigh had stumbled to his feet, sure, but he'd been expecting to be snarled at, shoved away, run out on. Instead, the blond had let him come closer, let him put a hand on his shoulder.

The part of him that he identified as "Guide" wanted that contact again. Craved it and more of it—not just a longer touch but other touches too. He shuddered; if this was how bad he was after a simple touch of his Sentinel's shoulder, how the fuck would he react if they ever got to the point where casual touches— _cuddling_ his brain supplied before he kicked the thought away—were normal? Would his brain melt into a pile of sappy goo and leak out his ears?

He smothered a sigh and threw himself onto his bed. Well, dropped. If he'd thrown himself, he'd end up on the floor most like. He'd just rolled over onto his back when his dad entered the room; he waited for the yelling or the berating or the questions but they never came.

Chuck hesitantly lowered his shielding some; all he got from his dad was disappointment. And that cut worse than any anger or yelling or frustration. He rolled over onto his side so he faced the wall and knew he wasn't going to sleep well tonight, if at all. 

"Son..."

"I know." He managed out, staring at the wall. "I know, alright? I went too far; Becket deserves an apology."

"Then you're aware—"

He twisted around and sat up so he was facing his father. "Of your little set up t'day? Yah, I was. An' I was expectin' t' get ignored or shoved away or cursed at. All he did was get to his feet, then stare at me." He absently tugged on his hair until his father grabbed his wrist.

"You froze."

Chuck wrenched his wrist from his dad's hold and turned away, not wanting to admit it aloud, but knowing that denying it would do him no good.

He really had been expecting that reaction; for his Sentinel to simply stare at him instead of running like he had been...it threw him. It was meeting his eyes that was the worst, because then the forming words had died on his tongue.

"I'll do it." He muttered. 

"You will." Herc agreed. "But when?"

Fuck if he knew. With his luck, Raleigh would resume running away from him.

-x-x-x-x-

Mako yawned softly and stretched; Hu smiled.

He wasn't quite sure if finding almost everything your Guide did cute was normal but...it wasn't a bad thing. It certainly didn't change the respect he had for her; he knew she was capable, competent and did not need him. Not in the same way he needed her. But he also was pretty sure she planned to stick around regardless, so...it was...

"Nervous?" He found himself asking as they headed back to where they'd been staying—her room, as his was one he shared with both his brothers.

"Worried." She murmured. "I...do not know how it will go tomorrow. The Kaidanovskys are good. Good with the press, how to handle themselves. Cor, your brothers as well. You and I can help keep one another balanced. Herc knows what to do as well. But Chance? Raleigh? Chuck?" She shook her head.

"They are...wild cards, I believe is the term."

Mako nodded. "Cor is normally good with Chance. But...I do not know." She murmured.

Hu automatically moved closer, with the intent to touch and soothe, but paused; expression questioning. She nodded and drifted closer to him as they walked; his fingers brushed hers before he laced them together. Without her saying a word, he knew that simple little action was comforting; not just for him, but also her.

She closed the door behind them and a weight lifted from them both. In here, there was no need for masks or pretending or hiding. It was just them; their sanctuary.

Both sat on the bed, leaning against the wall behind it, in contact from their shoulders to their ankles and talked quietly. Hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, what they could recall of family members long gone, anecdotes both funny and sad...they resumed what they had started in their dream-share.

-x-x-x-x-

Jin dribbled the ball, trying to make his way past Cheung so he could have a clearer shot at the net. Unfortunately, his brother knew him, knew all his tricks, all too well. So they were clearly at a stalemate, regardless of who had the ball.

"Why not find Raleigh and Moira?" He found himself suggesting as he fended off Cheung's next attempt to steal the ball.

"Do they even know how to play?"

He paused, then shrugged. "If not, we can teach them."

"It would make things more interesting..." Cheung murmured before he led the way to the Sentinel complex. Neither were sure where the two would be, or even if they'd be hanging out together, but it seemed like the best place to start. 

When they opened the door, they found their quarry meditating.

Raleigh cracked an eye open, then nudged Moira.

"Oh, hey guys. What's up?"

Jin held up the ball, which he'd forgotten to put down. "Want to play?"

Raleigh grinned. "It's been a while, so I'll be rusty." He got to his feet; offered Moira a hand.

She rolled her eyes but accepted. "If you kiss my hand, I'm flipping you."

His grin turned mischievous as he twisted the motion so she was flipped instead.

Moira landed on her feet, but stumbled and crashed into Jin. "You are ON, Becket!"

Jin grinned. "Join my team, then?"

Cheung, who could see the competition going from friendly to over the top, groaned as the trash-talking started, but led the way back to the net nonetheless. If anything, maybe he'd be able to keep the three from getting out of hand. It was unlikely, but he could try.

-x-x-x-x-

Tendo rubbed his temples as he slouched back in his seat; the words on the paper in front of him had started to blur, so he decided now was an acceptable time to take a break. He sighed as he remembered he'd forgotten to take his once-a-day pill he'd been on since before he could recall. Grumbling, he got himself a cup of water—he knew full well part of the headache was because of dehydration from too much caffeine—and downed his pill with a gulp of water.

Newt was asleep on his stack of papers, but was thankfully not drooling on them. Hermann was glancing at him from time to time, unsure of whether to wake him or let him sleep. Vanessa put her pen down after she finished another stack and flexed her fingers.

Pentecost kept going, either ignoring or oblivious to the exhaustion of those around him.

The head Guide entered the room, took one look at the lot of them and then scowled. "The interview is tomorrow, bright and early. You need sleep, all of you."

Tendo wanted to argue but his bed sounded like the best thing ever right then.

Newt jolted awake with a "bwuh?!" and almost fell out of his chair. Hermann grabbed him and held on until he was steadied; Vanessa smoothed his hair down. He gave both a small, sheepish grin.

"Including you, Marshal."

Only then did Pentecost look up. "Unless you know of someone else who is capable and trustworthy to do this, then—"

"Sir." The head Guide cut him off. "You are of no use to anyone, especially not protecting us from whatever lunacy the governments have concocted, if you do not sleep."

Pentecost's eyes narrowed.

"He is right." Hermann murmured and didn't quail when the Marshal's glower was turned on him.

"Please, sir." Vanessa added. "You've done most of this, even with our help. But you need rest sometime."

Newt broke out his puppy dog eyes, which prompted more of an eye roll than anything else.

When Pentecost looked to him, Tendo just nodded in agreement.

With a sigh, he put down his pen and rose. "Alright. But tomorrow—"

"Tomorrow it's back to the grindstone!" Newt chirped happily, which got him flat looks from everyone save the head Guide. 

Said Guide ushered them all out of the office and made a point to escort Pentecost to his quarters.

Once safely inside them, Pentecost let out a soft sigh and tried to ignore the lingering scent of his own Guide. He was calmer, now; he understood all too well the protectiveness that came with children. Mako was as important to him as Chuck was to Herc and he, too, would have acted rashly if it meant protecting her.

Not that Becket was a bad kid, per se. But that attitude of his towards Guides needed some serious adjustment. A small sigh escaped him before he removed his shoes and lowered himself into bed, too tired to bother with his normal nightly routine. The last thought he had before he drifted off was that he ought to talk to his Guide tomorrow, even if it would weaken the suppressants...

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh threw on his blue sweater, then resumed toweling his hair dry. Grumbling, he did his best to make it lie flat. 

Jin snickered at him. "Why do you think we keep ours so short?"

"Nothing to style." Moira responded tartly from where she was nibbling on a breakfast sandwich. Of the four, she was the only one who managed any food.

Cheung just muttered something unflattering in Chinese as he tried to get his clothing to sit right.

"What time is it?" Raleigh asked as he finally got his hair into some sort of order.

"You still have forty-five minutes." She pointed at the clock.

"Which means we have to go check in and get powdered." Jin muttered with disgust.

"Yuck." Moira mumbled, but accompanied them. "If anyone comes near me with one of those things, I'm dropping them."

The three pilots wished they had that particular freedom when a woman with a determined gleam in her eyes advanced on them with the aforementioned makeup.

-x-x-x-x-

Herc ate his breakfast without any problems; Sasha and Aleksis, who had joined the Hansens, did the same. Chuck poked at it and pushed it around on his plate; very little actually made it to his mouth. All of it tasted like cardboard and the few bites he had eaten just made him feel more nauseous.

"You have given more soundbites than the rest of us combined." Aleksis grumbled.

That didn't lessen Chuck's nausea at all. It was one thing to mouth off to the cameras post-kaiju-battle, when he was coming off his adrenaline high and more relieved than anything else. It was quite another to sit with his fellow Rangers—plus a few techs and probably K-science personnel—and get grilled by the same assholes who touted the wall as a life-saving solution when the jaegers began to fail.

The idea itself was driven by the politicians and their concerns with 'costs', but it was endorsed heavily by the media. He knew the names of several reporters who'd be there and he knew damn well they'd said nothing but glowing things about the wall until Mutavore walked right through it.

He gave up, pushing his food away from him. He knew his dad was frowning, most likely concerned, but he just strengthened his shielding and focused on fussing over Max, who hadn't stopped sticking to him like glue since last night. Which meant that his dad knew how unsettled he was, because Max was more in tune with his emotional state than Chuck himself was sometimes. 

"We'll do fine." Herc stated, meeting his son's eyes with his own.

-x-x-x-x-

Tendo fiddled with his bow tie; it wasn't crooked, it never was but...it gave his hands something to do. Newt grinned at him before gagging when the woman with the powder laid siege to him; Vanessa smothered a giggle, while Hermann berated him but offered him a water bottle to wash the taste from his mouth with.

He found himself grinning, slightly. The three completed each other; like the way Sentinel-Guide bonds were supposed to be.

Pentecost observed too, though he was immaculate and prepared. The woman with the face-powder took one look at him and decided she had other, easier, victims to harass.

Raleigh, Jin, Cheung and Moira joined them, trailed by Cor and Chance.

"Moral support?" He asked, when he spotted her.

"You know it, Eleven."

"Hey, no fez." Tendo grumbled.

"Don't need it, methinks."

"No. More." Hermann stated flatly; he was not in the mood for a Doctor Who debate.

"Fine." Both mumbled, disappointed, which amused Raleigh and the two triplets.

Mako and Hu soon joined them; they, too, were dressed impeccably. Moments after, the Hansens and the Kaidanovskys, plus Max, joined the gaggle.

From there, everyone save Moira trooped out onto a small stage, complete with tables and chairs, that had been erected for this interview.

-x-x-x-x-

"Moira."

She jumped, turning, to find her grandfather had come to stand with her.

"Grandfather."

He sighed softly. "We do not have time to talk, not right now. But, I am sorry."

She froze, eyes wide.

"I did not find the letter from your parents until both you and your brother had already left. I was...unaware that your Sentinel was gone." Alan murmured before he went to join his newly arrived assistant.

For a moment, she allowed the shock to swamp her; she then shoved it off and forced herself to be calm and centered. She was here as moral support, like Tendo said, and she couldn't do that if she was floundering about in her own feelings. There'd be time to deal with them later. Like after the make-or-break interview later.

-x-x-x-x-

There was a momentary hush as all stepped on stage and took their seats.

Someone, Raleigh wasn't sure who, had arranged it so he was the prerequisite five plus feet from Chuck, which was just one less thing to worry about. To his surprise, when he glanced in their direction, Herc raised an eyebrow at him.

He felt his stomach drop. Did the other pilot know? He knew Moira wouldn't say anything but...what if he'd guessed? Raleigh was aware he hadn't been as discreet as he'd have liked to be but...still. Then again...Herc was in his forties or something. And was a Guide. Chances were, he'd know it. And that might have been why he'd forced Raleigh so close to Chuck while they were sparring. A test. And he'd gone and proven it by zoning. Shit.

Mako nudged him under the table; Cor did the same from his right.

"Fine." He murmured, hiding his comment with a sip from the water bottle.

"These are the pilots?" One of the braver reporters asked.

"All except Vulcan Specter's pilots; they are still recovering." Pentecost stated.

"What was it like piloting with a Guide?" Called another.

Raleigh fought the urge to snap at them, but leaned into his mic before Pentecost had a chance to reply. "Four of the pilots here are Guides, four are bad ass normals and three are Sentinels. Better question would be, what's it like for them to pilot with _us_."

"Alright!" The reporter called. "What's it like to pilot with a Sentinel?"

"Different." Mako murmured. 

"It gives us an insight most Guides lack, I'd say." Cor added.

Chuck was too busy trying not to stare at Raleigh. The Sentinel had not only apologized, but _actually changed his mind_. Enough that he was defending Guides to the press. His dad kicked him under the table, a silent reminder to pay attention and be confused as all hell later.

The interview wore on; most on the questions were blessedly inane.

Then some dumbfuck brought up Trespasser.

"Is it true that both Tech Choi and Ranger Johnson lost family the day Trespasser came ashore?" Called one of the ones in the back.

Tendo managed to keep a neutral expression, then nod. He didn't want to turn to look at Chance.

Chance, however, just smiled and shrugged.

"Would you say the family you lost is what prompted you to join up?" That same reporter pestered.

"Yes, we would." Jin cut in. "Almost everyone in the 'Dome has lost someone to the kaiju; that is why they stayed on even after the governments tried to shut us down."

That caused a sudden barrage of questions that continued until Alan himself stepped out and silenced the reporters.

"Thanks." Chance muttered in the confusion; Jin gave him the tiniest of smiles in return.

Alan pointed to one.

"When do you plan on returning home for your victory celebrations?"

"I do not speak for the others." Aleksis stated. "But I am home."

Sasha nodded.

The Wei triplets gave identical 'are you fucking kidding me' looks to the questioner.

Herc just inclined his head towards Aleksis.

Chuck scoffed. "HQ is home; always has been."

Mako simply nodded; Cor and Chance exchanged glances before replying the same.

Raleigh just smiled. "Like Chuck said...HQ is home."

Herc kicked his son again before he could get distracted; Becket had told them he'd try to put on a united from in front of the vultures and he was doing just that. Anything beyond that would have to come, if it ever did, _after_ his son apologized.

"What about your home countries?" One of the more annoying reporters grumbled.

"What about them?" Cheung asked. "My brothers and I are still here."

That caused a small ripple of laughter.

"You're Russian, you're American, you're Australian and you're Japanese. What about your home countries?"

"I am a citizen of the world." Mako replied softly and hid a smirk when the reporters went nuts over that comment. The others decided to move to the next question, because there was no way they could top that answer.

"And why's there a model up there?" The same irritating bastard questioned.

"That _model_ is my Sentinel." Hermann stated flatly.

"And mine." Newt responded cheerfully. "Well, sorta."

"But you're a Sentinel!"

"It's called a triad bond. Surely you've heard of it?" Vanessa retorted coolly; some of the reporters were in a bit of a frenzy after that.

Once the furor died down, more questions were permitted.

"Hey, Becket—"

Alan interrupted the questioner. "It is _Ranger_ Becket."

"Ranger Becket, what were you doing for five years?"

Mako took a breath, not daring to look at her copilot.

"I was building the Alaskan Wall of Life." Raleigh responded.

There was a brief moment of silence before the trickle of questions turned into a flood again.

Alan had them quieted within five minutes, however.

"What about the other Ranger Hansen? The one who just ran off?" The irritating bastard of a reporter asked.

Raleigh was very, very tempted to chuck his water bottle at the man, politeness be damned; the only thing that stopped him was the hold Mako and Cor had on his left and right wrists, respectively.

"Scott Hansen was honorably discharged." Pentecost stated firmly.

"For what reason?" The asshole pressed.

"That reason is need to know." Pentecost replied. "And you, one of the most vocal detractors of the jaeger program, _do not need to know_."

"Burn!" Yelled one of the reporters in the back; that caused snickering, while the reporter who'd been called out turned a dull red.

"I was just doing my job." The man hissed.

"If by your job, you mean maligning the brave men and women who piloted, many of whom lost their lives doing so, then yes. You did your job and you did it exceedingly well. Take note, Mr. Harrison. You were told to be polite and yet you could not manage it. This is the last interview request from us you shall be granted." Alan stated coldly.

Raleigh was amused to see several reporters scribbling away while the newly identified Harrison turned even redder. 

"How 'bout your love-lives?" Shouted one.

"That shall be extended to you as well, Ms. Amison of Cosmo, if you continue down that line." Alan informed her.

The woman looked flummoxed, like she was unsure how their PR manager knew her name, let alone the magazine she worked for.

"Awh, c'mon!" Another reporter complained. "There's gotta be someone for one of them up there!"

"There _is_ a reason Aleksis and I share the same last name. A hint: it is not because we are siblings." Sasha retorted in a neutral tone.

"You two are married?!" 

That raised another deluge of questions; Raleigh hid his smile behind his water bottle again. Mako projected a faint amusement to him; Cor just seemed done with the whole shenanigan.

"How 'bout you, Ranger Hansen? Anyone special in your life?"

"There are two Ranger Hansens." Herc responded. "Clarify."

"The younger!"

"The older!"

The reporters in question glowered at each other.

Herc just shrugged, as though completely unconcerned with love or lovers.

Chuck mentally rolled his eyes before giving them the soundbite they'd been fishing for. "Like I wanna be tied down. I helped save the world, yeah?" 

Several of the reporters smiled at that.

Raleigh had to be discreetly restrained again before he snagged Mako's water bottle, in addition to his own, to throw.

-x-x-x-x-

"Nicely handled." Alan murmured as he escorted them to the cafeteria.

Moira fell in with Raleigh, Jin and Cheung, who were snickering and discussing the numerous snappy comebacks of the interview. 

Chuck glowered at her from where he walked beside his father; Max kept pace but also kept looking up at his master. Herc shook his head; the sooner the boy found his voice and actually said something, the better.

Pentecost didn't manage to escape from the large group to return to his paperwork. Vanessa, Newt, Hermann and Tendo staged a minor mutiny and had him join them at a table; Alan, after prodding from Newt, also joined them.

"We can talk shop here, if we have to." Newt yawned. "But I think food is best, yeah?"

His question was directed at the head Guide, who pulled a chair over to join them. "Yes. Food is best."

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh was relieved, now. And exchanging friendly barbs with Cheung, Jin and Moira as they waited for the others to rejoin them. Chuck claimed a seat just outside his five foot range; Herc took the one just inside it. 

Mako nudged him, questioningly, but he shook his head.

Jin poked him, and he resumed the snarkfest.

The Russians observed, faint smiles on their faces. In the light of their current inability to find the damned doctor who had caused the American ball of sunshine to morph into the older, scarred and generally less happy person he was today...it was nice to see Raleigh was still able to smile, to have fun.

Cor shook his head at their antics, then all but fell asleep on Chance's shoulder.

Herc, who'd been listening to the talk, shook his head. "Don't get cocky now, kid."

_All sound fell away; all warmth and light. Suddenly he was back in the conn pod, icy spray in his face as he was stared down by the kaiju that killed his brother._

_It echoed, but was the memory of the words, now._ **_Don't get cocky, kid._**

"Raleigh?" Herc asked cautiously.

The blond's face had suddenly gone blank, then drained of color. He was now a pasty white.

"Fuck!" Moira snarled; Mako moved so she was on Raleigh's other side as the two tried to draw him from his zone.

Chuck was frozen; all he could sense from his Sentinel was pain; physical, emotional, mental.

"What—how?" Herc questioned.

"You met them when there was still two." Mako stated, voice calmer than expected. She had sensed the confusion and concern from the older Guide, which had mollified her slightly.

The look on Herc's face when it clicked calmed her further.

Moira, who'd been around to rip into him, bit her tongue. It was obvious the older man had no clue that he'd just triggered something for Raleigh.

Chuck's fists clenched under the table. He wanted to go over there, do something. But he didn't know what and he had barely any training, so what was being his actual Guide going to do?

The Russians, who'd been relaxed and somewhat calm, were now stoic again. They didn't need to be told why it was triggering; they had often heard Yancy make a similar remark to his younger brother. It just made the fact that their contact had yet to get back to them that much worse.

Jin and Cheung focused on keeping their brother distracted so Mako was able to help Moira.

After a few tense moments, the two were able to draw him out of it. 

Raleigh managed a wan smile. "Sorry about that." His shaking hand was clutching Moira like a lifeline; he'd be holding onto Mako as well, if he knew it wouldn't set Hu off.

Herc just shook his head. "Nothing to apologize for." The Aussie stomped on the urge to ask if he was alright; that would probably just make matters worse. And from the looks the Russians were giving him, his next bout in the Kwoon would be against them before he got anywhere near Raleigh.

Mako frowned, but had to move before Hu got anymore tense.

That was when Chuck surprised everyone by moving into her vacated spot at Raleigh's side. He said nothing, didn't even look at Sentinel and kept eating. But, under the table, his knee was resting against Raleigh's; that point of contact, combined with Moira's continued help, allowed him to calm and regain some color.

Mako offered Chuck a discreet smile; he stonily ignored it.

Cheung and Jin traded silent smirks before they went back to razzing Hu about basketball.

Herc looked like he wasn't sure whether to be glad his son was doing something or just facepalm because his boy could not seem to use words.

Sasha and Aleksis eyed Chuck for a moment, but when his presence served to make Raleigh relax more, they said nothing.

Cor and Chance exchanged a series of glances; the kind that were a conversation in and of themselves. Both nodded at the end; it was time to find out what was going on. And to try to get Raleigh some help, because this was no way for a Sentinel—let alone one who had the head Guide at their disposal—to live. They both looked to Chuck, who they could tell was concerned, despite his outer facade.

Perhaps they ought to involve him.

-x-x-x-x-

Blood dripped into the eye that he could still see out of. He guessed the other one was swollen shut. One of his hands clutched at the still-growing wet spot on his side; he didn't need to look to see it was crimson and brown; dried and fresh mingling. With his other hand, he tried to wipe it away; only really succeeded in smearing it across his face. His entire body ached; he knew, if he were to look, it would be mottled with various hues of blue, purple, green, black bruises. From prior experience, he knew he had at least three broken bones; one was in his left leg. Or was it his right?

Still he stumbled on; the Shatterdome was in sight.

If he could just make it there, make it inside, he'd be safe.

He made it to the guard at the door—someone he recognized, actually—but blacked out before he could actually set food in the building.

-x-x-x-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I have no fucking clue where all these feels came from. Seriously. NONE. Uhm. Don'thurtmeplz?
> 
> -[Enjoy.](http://strikereurekatech.tumblr.com/post/66291708359)


	5. In Which There Are Problems (Or; Everyone Has Issues and In Raleigh and Chuck's Case, Their Issues Have Issues)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stacker has issues; Herc also has issues; Chuck has ALL THE ISSUES; we finally find out who our mysterious, injured person is (at least one person called it in the comments!); Raleigh and Cor have another match; Chuck and Moira spar; basketball is the name of the game; I really need to put more Tendo and Newmannessa in this fic. And triplets. And Russians. They're there but not as much as I'd like them to be. Oh well, that's what next chapter's for.  
> Enjoy! (Or not.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part five.  
> (CHRIST WHAT AM I EVEN DOING)
> 
> Also, in other news, I now have a beta.  
> So this chapter is with thanks to my beta missixo and the Plot Bunny Master, artimusdin.  
> This chapter also brought to you by copious amounts of stress, my fucking excuse for a university and by my fave songs by Tegan and Sara.

-x-x-x-x-

Pentecost just listened to the idle chatter of the others at his table; he would rather eat and not waste time. He did recall that he wished to speak to his Guide and found himself frowning as he noticed a minor disturbance at the other table.

The head Guide and Hermann both started, then glanced towards Raleigh.

"... It is a good thing you got him when you did." Hermann murmured, eyes still on the blond.

The head Guide nodded before sighing. There was little he could do to help the American when he wouldn't even come anywhere near him. He had suggested therapy but... well, that had been vetoed rather vehemently. And while he couldn't blame the blond after what he’d been through... it didn't really make it any easier to deal with the knowledge that he would have to let his trainee and someone still figuring out what it was to be a Guide help such a deeply damaged individual.

Then again, one of them was Becket’s own Guide, and the other had his trust. If anyone would be capable of helping, it would be them. Mori was a very capable Guide as well; once her relationship with her Sentinel was more stable, he was willing to bet she would assist more. He was also fairly certain that both the elder Hansen and Cor would help if at all necessary. So perhaps it was just as well he wasn't involved.

Pentecost rose, finished with his food.

All eyes at his table rested on him.

Alan smiled. "I loaned some of my paperwork gremlins to you. They are all trustworthy, and most have been working for me since before the war."

Everyone at the table turned to glare at him; why the fuck had they been doing that much paperwork for over a week straight, then?

"I did need some help with the press releases, you know." He mumbled in response to the stares.

"Evil." Newt mumbled. "Pure evil."

"Agreed." Tendo grumbled before sighing. "At least we'll have help now?"

"Yes." Alan stated. "I have my department largely in order so I won't need the extra manpower until the next press release. Which is, thankfully, not for another two weeks."

Pentecost raised an eyebrow.

"They are extremely stressful to everyone, especially our Sentinels. Scheduling them much more often than that would probably result in a bit of a breakdown, especially since only one is bound. With a Guide, Sentinels can handle more stress; without one, however..." A small sigh escaped Alan as he glanced towards where his grandchildren sat. "Chance had many a problem when he was younger, even with his sister by his side. I do not want to subject Becket and Wei Tang to anything extra. They helped save us all; the least I can do is help them stay relaxed until they can bond, if they choose to do so."

The Marshal nodded, then headed over to the other table.

"Hansen."

Both looked up, but he kept his eyes on his Guide.

"A word, later. When you're done."

Herc nodded; Pentecost nodded back before he left the room. If he was to be in close proximity to his Guide, he would need a chance to recollect himself.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck glanced to his father, who didn't seem surprised by Pentecost's summons.

His dad just shook his head slightly before he engaged Aleksis in conversation; the Russian was clearly displeased, but went along with it. Sasha joined in, but it stayed stilted and stiff.

The younger Aussie resisted the urge to sigh and turned his attention back to Raleigh. The blond was much calmer and his shaking had ceased but... it bothered him. So casual a remark could make his Sentinel zone? How the fuck had he survived piloting in this state? Hell, how had any of them survived fighting alongside him when he was in this state?

Raleigh's knee nudged his.

He looked up and met tired, but concerned, blue.

"You okay?"

Chuck just stared at him for a moment. The idiot had just zoned over a _casual goddamn remark_ and now he was asking if _Chuck was okay_?

Moira just gave him a tight smile before she returned her focus to using her empathy to ground Raleigh. Chuck scowled at said blond, but copied what she did; the other pilot all but went limp. The redhead grabbed him before he could fall out of his seat and righted him, muttering curses.

"Christ, Becket." He finished, though he was more concerned than angry. Not that he'd let it show.

Moira shook her head. "Next time you do that, warn me, yeah?"

"There's such a thing as too grounded." Raleigh added, still looking a little stunned.

"Wait, he just--?!" Cor cut off, staring.

Chance grinned. "Told ya it was because it was me."

Herc frowned as he considered them. "It makes sense."

"But it's still not the best idea." Cor grumbled.

"What are you even going on about?" Moira interrupted.

"Training. Uh, Chuck's training." Chance supplied, not even bothered by the glare sent his way. "Grounding me was getting better, but not by much. Sorry, mate, it's the truth."

Raleigh looked to Chuck. "You were learning to be a Guide?" 

" _Am._ " Was the stiff response. 

"We are training for that as well." Cheung offered. "We do not have the empathy but we believe we can still pull Hu from a zone if we know what to do."

Jin nodded. "It is... trying, though."

"Using the neural bridge between pilots as a means to pull them from a zone?" Herc asked.

Jin and Cheung nodded.

"Not one I've heard before. Does it work?" Herc asked curiously.

"We have not tried yet, still working on theory itself. We will let you know if it does happen, however." Cheung stated. Herc nodded.

Raleigh was sneaking not-so-covert looks at his Guide. He was, quite frankly, shocked that Chuck had decided to learn to use his empathy the way a -- and he hated to phrase it this way -- _traditional_ Guide would. For him to not be fully trained, just following Moira's lead and... he did it perfectly. Especially for just mimicking. Either Chance and Chuck hadn't meshed--and part of him had a dash of vindictive glee at that, though he knew damn well the other Sentinel had no interest in Chuck--or it was just easier for his Guide to work with him.

"It's odd." Cor grumbled, eyes on the younger Aussie. "But I’m still not sure."

"Can you lot stop with the circle-talk?" Moira grumbled.

"Well, if it's easier for Chuck to focus on and assist Raleigh than it is to help Chance, it only makes sense to have him train with Raleigh instead. The only problem is..."

"I'm a wildcard with a habit of zoning with the lovely addition of psychological trauma, which is a bit much for someone who's just starting?" Raleigh finished blandly.

"... Yeah." Chance muttered before sighing. "No offense, though."

"None taken." The blond responded calmly.

Chuck glared at them. "I'm _right here_." He snapped.

"Fair enough." Cor murmured. "Do you think you can handle training with Raleigh?"

Herc frowned as Chuck seemed to consider it. While it was true that a Sentinel's Guide had an almost innate understanding of them and how to calm them--or would develop it over time--it might be too much in Raleigh's case. Chuck was good with his empathy, especially for someone who never completed Guide training but... He stifled his sigh. He knew, also, that if his son decided to do this, he wouldn't back down, even if he was in over his head. Which meant that there was a chance Raleigh would have to zone or get hurt before Chuck might admit that he wasn't ready. Then again, his son was stubborn, but not sadistic. There was a chance he would actually say so if it was too much... The older man glanced to Cor, who gave him a nod.

... Well, if nothing else, Cor would keep an eye to things when he couldn't be around. And he knew the other man would keep things well in hand.

He was almost finished eating when one of the med techs approached, looking harried.

"Ranger Hansen, can you come to the infirmary? Now?"

Chuck glanced at his dad, who shook his head before he followed the med tech. Raleigh gently nudged him with his knee, but he didn't look at the blond. He didn't want to see the pity on his face... Though, when he realized all he could sense from him was concern, he relaxed some.

Raleigh glanced to Mako and Moira, both of whom merely nodded. The blond resisted the urge to slam his face down on the table only because he was still hungry... and because it might make Chuck question his sanity. If he wasn't already. Which he probably was... Okay, he probably deserved the kick he got from... Cor? The fuck?

-x-x-x-x-

Herc was a little wary. While he knew the medical staff had been vetted, he was still careful around those who weren't a pilot, Striker's techs, the Marshal or Tendo. Sometimes people slipped through the cracks... which was what he had a feeling played a hand in Yancy's death. The med tech, however, didn't look nervous and didn't give off any vibes that would cause alarm.

They just appeared stressed.

Which made no sense. The only ones still in the infirmary were Vulcan's pilots and they were only still there because medical was reluctant to let them go for lack of others to tend to. He knew they'd be bitching once construction resumed--no matter how careful a tech was, accidents still happened--but he could understand wanting something to do. And Vulcan's pilots weren't complaining too much; the longer they were in there, the less they had to deal with reporters and their ilk. The med techs also kept them supplied with a steady stream of updates, as well as magazines and newspapers.

Either way, if they had somehow taken a turn for the worse, the one who would be contacted in that event would be Stacker. Because that would be his area as Marshal. And while Herc was unofficially his second-in-command... there was nothing wrong with Stacker. So there was no reason for them to come to him, not really. And Chuck was in the mess with him, so there was no way it was something to do with his son.

He was also well aware he'd come up negative for radiation poisoning, cancer and every other illness he'd been screened for after their last drop. Cancer screenings in particular tended to be a monthly thing, but it had only been two weeks since his last. He therefore had no idea why he was being brought to medical.

That changed the moment the tech brought him over to a bed with a patient that was still being actively tended. He didn't need to see much more than the battered, bruised face. Even swollen and discolored, he knew his brother's face anywhere.

"He was found an hour ago. He's stable now, but some of his bones were broken and are still being reset." The med tech murmured. 

Herc nodded stiffly, still processing that his brother was not only here, but badly injured.

"You can't see him right now, because he's still being treated but the moment you can, I will let you know."

He nodded again. "Do we know anything?"

The tech shook their head. "We aren't even sure how he managed to make it here, with his injuries. Whoever went after him..."

"Did it and did it well." The head Guide murmured as he joined them. "I still have to stick around, help keep him stable. Well, as much as he can be right now." The usual unshakable calm the man usually projected was gone; in its place was a quiet hauntedness. "He's a Sentinel. You don't... need to go that far. Not with a Sentinel."

"They knew?" Herc managed to grit out.

"They knew he was one, yes. There's no way they couldn't have." A small sigh escaped him as one of the other med techs motioned for him. "I will do my best with him. And it will be only me. It would not be fair for him to grow to trust or depend on a Guide only to have that person disappear on him."

The Aussie nodded, glad he was better at control than his son was. The last thing he needed to do was project everywhere when he had to go see Stacker. 

"He will be fine for now. And the entire 'Dome is on alert." The med tech assured. "If you have other duties..."

"I'll be back."

The med tech nodded. "We'll be here."

One of Vulcan's pilots poked their head out of the curtained area around their bed. "We'll hold down the fort, mate. No worries."

In spite of knowing that there were other precautions in place, this was the one assurance that caused him to calm. Rangers--all of them--had fought and, in some cases, literally bled alongside one another. Knowing these two--who were actually fine, just unwilling to get in front of the cameras--would be on the look out was just more reassuring than people he didn't know, hadn't fought alongside keeping watch.

He nodded; the other Ranger nodded back.

-x-x-x-x-

Pentecost heard footsteps on the way to his quarters; he knew they belonged to Herc. And he fought the urge to scowl, because he should not hear them, let alone know whose they were. He had been hoping it was just the stress, but if he could hear the footsteps and identify them so easily... the suppressants were really becoming useless. He'd known they were weakening, true, but not to this extent. This meant he'd have to come clean--after they spoke, anyway--and then both would likely have to have some sort of forced vacation. Which meant all would fall to Tendo, as the next in the chain of command.

He smothered a sigh as he considered the bottle of Johnnie Walker Platinum he'd managed to drink a third of. He'd hoped the alcohol would help him relax, make what he was going to have to admit to--a weakness, which was a luxury he'd not been allowed for many years now--easier. 

The scent of his Guide hit him when the man walked in through his door without so much as a knock.

There was distress, pain, anger, helplessness... Pentecost had to close his eyes and focus for a moment before he lost the little control he had left.

"What is it?" Herc asked after he closed the door behind him.

Pentecost paused for a moment and considered the alcohol before him.

"... You don't drink. Haven't since y'stopped pilotin'." Herc's eyes were sharp as he eyed his commanding officer.

"I have a glass every now and then." The Marshal stated.

"I'm sorry. For how I reacted with Becket." Herc admitted after a moment.

That earned him a small twitch of Stacker's mouth, the briefest of smiles. "Apology accepted."

The Aussie came closer, frowning. "If that's not why you're drinking..."

Concern joined the already potent blend of emotion-scents his Guide was unknowingly giving off.

"The suppressants. They're failing." He met the widened eyes of his Guide unflinchingly.

Herc nodded after a few moments; his face was calm, but Stacker could tell that his Guide was reeling, between this and some sort of other news, though he had no idea what could cause such a reaction.

He closed his eyes, trying to control himself, but he could feel what little restraint he had left fraying. Rapidly.

Herc got himself in hand before he projected calm-assurance-relax at his Sentinel; he moved so he was in arm's reach, which would - in theory - help him relax further.

"I'll call Al." Stacker murmured before he reached for the phone.

"Al?" The Aussie muttered.

"It's the safest thing to call the head Guide, in terms of actual names." Stacker supplied. "He tends to react much like Becket if you use his first name."

"Huff, puff and throw ridiculous insults your way?" Herc grumbled but there was no real heat to it. As annoyed as he had been, he knew that Becket had changed. Still didn't mean he was ready to let his son run off and bond with the brat or anything but... well, he had bigger problems at the moment.

"Yes, but as head Guide they tend to be less ridiculous and more... pointed." The other man replied before he placed the call.

It took mere moments for the head Guide--Al, rather--to appear. He seemed a bit rushed, like he was in a hurry to return somewhere.

"What seems to--oh. Suppressants?"

Stacker nodded.

"I can't clear you to work. Either of you. Not until you've come online and stabilized."

Stacker eyed Al. "What else is goin' on?"

"You'll have to speak to Ranger Hansen about that. I have to return; I’ll be sure to note what has gone on and inform Tendo." With that, Al all but ran off.

Not quite sure he wanted to know, Stacker turned to Herc.

"M'brother was found. Beaten. Al's... supposed to be helpin' calm him." The redhead scowled.

Stacker smothered a chuckle. "Al's range is far greater than you'd expect. He also has quite a bit of experience in using his empathy over distances. He... was a hostage situation negotiator, before he joined us."

Herc nodded stiffly, simultaneously amused and annoyed at the automatic jolt of jealousy caused by listening to his Sentinel praise another Guide.

That was when the suppressants well and truly wore off.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh frowned. The atmosphere at the table wasn't the best. Well, he knew some of it was due to concern over him. But, well... it'd been a stressful few days and he knew he was much more prone to zones when under significant stress. And while he knew it was weird that the press caused more stress than the whole canceling-the-apocalypse thing... well... they didn't know, then, if they'd survive. If they'd manage to save the world. If they didn't, well, they'd be dead. Not much to worry about, there. And if they somehow lived? The press would be the least of their worries, because it was likely everyone would end up pretty banged up.

Now, though, the future of the PPDC and the jaeger program rode upon their ability to retain a decent reputation with the public. And Raleigh was one of the ones who would be heavily scrutinized, due to his past and due to being an unbound Sentinel around so many Guides... He didn't even want to think about what the press would do when they found out who his Guide was. And he was nowhere near delusional enough to think it'd be "if". They'd find out, somehow; didn't matter how long it took or when it was, they would. And then things would get really interesting.

Simultaneous nudges from Mako, Chuck and Moira pulled Raleigh from his thoughts.

"Not a zone?"

"Not a zone." He confirmed before he played with the food upon his plate. He had been hungry, prior to his zone, but between that and Chuck's near-constant scent of concern-stress... his appetite had gone elsewhere. Not to mention that the scent of everyone else was apparent, especially their worry. Or anger.

"I believe we were promised a match?" Hu commented.

Sasha smiled. "Can you handle your Guide on the opposing team?"

Hu frowned, considering for a moment, before he nodded. 

"A match?" Cor asked.

"If we won." Aleksis rumbled. "We would play basketball with them."

"I am to even out the teams?" Mako queried.

Both Kaidanovskys nodded.

Jin frowned. All of them--those involved in the game--were essentially done, but it was unlikely that anyone would want to leave Raleigh alone after what had just happened. And while Cor, Chance, Chuck and Moira weren't "alone", he had a feeling Mako would be reluctant to leave him with them. Hu, in turn, would not want to leave his Guide behind. And then the match would simply just not be as much fun, because it was meant to show that there was more to their training than just killing kaiju. They'd loved and learned and enjoyed playing basketball; it also enhanced their dynamic as far as learning how to balance one another's individual styles. The one they'd agreed on had been the Thundercloud formation, but each had their own little take on it, adjusted to fit them and their own unique way of doing things.

The Kaidanovskys had disbelieved this, from the start. And thus a rivalry was born. The five had pranked one another--their techs eventually joining the fray--until recently, when things had become to harried and more about survival than the previous fight-win-relax dynamic. It had reached the point where it was simpler to make a deal; neither side would lose face and all their efforts could be turned to saving the world. The brief respite caused the truce to still be upheld, in part due to the distraction of the other pilots.

And now they had. Which meant it was time to make good on that deal, so long as Mako would be willing fill the empty spot on the Kaidanovskys' team.

Mako glanced to Raleigh, who gave her a small nod, accompanied by an even smaller smile.

"I am in." She murmured, which caused identical grins to spread across the triplets' faces.

Sasha's gaze lingered on Raleigh for a moment before she indicated that now was a good time for it. The others followed her lead, although all seemed to eye Raleigh before they left, as though half expecting him to zone while they returned their trays.

"I'm not _that_ bad." The Ranger in question said after they left.

"Y'kinda are, though." Chance muttered, then dodged Cor's swipe at him, Moira's kick but not Cor's next one.

"Team work. I like." Moira murmured; Cor simply high fived her.

The look on Chance's face made Raleigh grin; Chuck just eyed the four like they'd gone and lost their damn minds... though he was vaguely used to Chance and Cor's antics by now.

"Are you two still on as well?" Raleigh suggested to deflect the 'why did you zone' and 'how the hell did you pilot' questions he figured were coming.

"Uh?" Chance questioned, looking to Cor, who was just as perplexed.

"Oh. Us. Sparring match." Moira mumbled before raising an eyebrow at Chuck. "Whatcha think?"

Chuck frowned but nodded. If it further upset the has-been, they could always stop.

Cor eyed the three, then gave Moira a look.

She sighed, but nodded in response.

"What the fuck. You two don't get to do that!" Chance grumbled.

"We've spent plenty of time around one another. Which you'd know, if you hadn't used that free time to sleep." Cor responded loftily before he took another bite of food to prevent himself from sticking his tongue out at Chance. There was something about his Sentinel that brought out his inner five-year-old and sometimes it was just damn embarrassing!

Moira snickered. "Let's just be glad he's no idea what we've been up to, yeah?"

Chance looked between his sister and his Sentinel; his expression was a combination of wary and horrified.

Raleigh had to muffle his laughter, as this reminded him entirely too much of how he and Yance would tease Tendo. Or how Tendo and Yance would tease him, or he and Tendo, Yance. The thought of his brother made him stiffen slightly, but the instantaneous gentle empathic nudges he received from Moira and Chuck helped him to resettle himself.

He didn't miss the brief meeting of eyes between Cor and Chance at that; he had a feeling those two would be sticking their oars in where he was concerned very soon. The two were responsible for helping to train Chuck. And if Chuck trained best by working with him, it was likely the two would simply come along. The idea made him a little anxious and not just because it would mean involving another Sentinel.

Raleigh was unsure of how all those in his group and the other three would mesh. He had no idea if the Wei Tangs had any history with Cor and Chance, let alone with Chuck. Or if there was some sort of issue between Mako and the two. They'd got on well enough before, but...

Moira poked him. "If yer worried 'bout the match, we can skive off 'til later y'know."

The blond glared. "Don't even."

She laughed. "Fair enough. But, no. Seriously. We can."

Chuck nodded, expression carefully neutral. The worry-scent from him increased, though. Raleigh absently rubbed at his temples; he had a hell of a headache forming there.

Moira sighed. "Alright, how 'bout we head to the Kwoon, show Chuck how to resettle you before you twitch out of your skin, because something's dialed higher than you're used to and then we can have the match. Sound alright to you?"

Raleigh glowered but nodded.

Chuck kept his expression neutral but was inwardly irritated. He'd noticed, due to Raleigh's body language, that something was up. He hadn't quite worked out which sense was the problem, but before he could even try to figure out how to discuss it, she just... how the fuck was it so damn easy. Or at least it seemed like it, between Cor and Moira. And then Mako, too. It had to be a big change for her but she handled it with same calm competence she brought to every other thing she did. Cor was... not the typical Guide, that much was certain, but he was still the epitome of competent. And then there was him. The one who still had no clue how to be a fucking Guide.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh led the way to the Kwoon, glad to be free of the cafeteria. It cut back on some of the scents that had begun to drive him to distraction. Chance smirked at him and kept him distracted while Cor trailed them, within arms reach.

Moira and Chuck brought up the rear of their little party.

"Y'know, it's a lil different for me."

"What is?" He ground out.

"Guiding. Like it or not, regardless of who I'm working with, I'm temporary. Eventually the Sentinel goes on to someone else, no matter how well or horribly they work with me. With you? This is it, if you both agree. He's your Sentinel; you're his Guide. Bit more permanent. Bit more... terrifying, I guess. Things are simple, if you're filling in as a Guide. You help 'em as best you can, make friends with 'em if it's possible, forget it if you can't and then move on. You, though?"

"Me?" Chuck prompted stiffly.

"You have the long-term relationship aspect to contend with - regardless of if it’s romantic, sexual, both, or neither, on top of actually Guiding. I don't. I have a friend I'm helping out. You have your potential boyfriend, partner, or whatever-you-wanna-call-him, plus Guiding. Not hard to see which is more complicated. Plus, you two are pretty complicated alone. Figuring out how to get you two to mesh? Probably gonna take doing." She paused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, it looks easy in my case because it _is_ easy. I'm not in this for the long haul. You hope to be. And that's the difference right there."

Chuck stared at her for a moment as what she said sunk in. "... You're trying to help."

"Yeah, I am. I'll admit you're not my favorite person, but I'll also admit that I don't know you well enough to judge. Either way, you're the one who's best for Raleigh. So if helping you helps him?" She shrugged, smiling slightly. "That said. This'll go a lot smoother if we can at least be civil with one another." She offered her hand.

He eyed her for a moment, then used his empathy. She waited, allowed him through her shields, so he could determine whether she was sincere or not. After a moment, he nodded and shook her hand.

Both let go of the other's hand when a sense of angry-possessive swamped them from Raleigh's direction.

"... That's..."

"Because we shook hands. Yes." Moira murmured. "Never mind I'm a Guide, never mind I'm a friend, never mind I have no interest in you. I touched you, so now he's irritated at me." She paused. "Admittedly, part of it might have to do with the fact that we're not arguing or trying to hurt one another, so the contact could be considered positive."

"But most of the contact I've had with him..."

Moira nodded.

Chuck resisted the urge to sigh and simply nodded back. "And that's why he won't react with jealousy if we spar?"

"Exactly. Protective, maybe. But not that angry-possessive mess." Moira summed up.

-x-x-x-x-

Aleksis's phone dinged and vibrated from its place in his coat pocket. However, due to the noise and preoccupation with the basketball game--which was in full swing, tied up at 12-12, Wei Tangs had the ball--he missed it.

The email's subject line read "Found It."

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh settled on the mat, fighting the rising nausea as the scent of the Kwoon began to overwhelm him. Cor and Chance sat off to the side, simply observing for right now. Moira settled by Raleigh and motioned Chuck to do the same.

"Alright, what's bothering you?"

"Scent." He gritted out.

"Focus. Push it away or ignore it, then dial it down." She supplemented her words with her empathy. Chuck observed, scowling.

Raleigh nodded, exhaling slightly, then pulling a face.

"Alright, your turn." She nodded to Chuck.

The redhead looked from one to the other, frowning.

"It normally takes two or three tries, if I've zoned recently." Raleigh muttered, looking anywhere but at his Guide.

"Block it out." The Aussie stated, ignoring the discomfort coming from the Sentinel. He was a perfectionist, sure, but he wasn't expecting Raleigh to be perfect. Especially not after only being at this for, what, three months tops? "Now dial it down." He copied what Moira had done with her empathy and was gratified when Raleigh's tense muscles relaxed.

"Better." The blond murmured, the ghost of a smile on his lips. His eyes, when he opened them, were warm; their focus was his Guide.

Chuck turned to look at Moira, smirking and unknowingly projecting his smugness at her. She gave him a "bitch please" look that left Chance in stitches, Raleigh fearing their match would get out of hand, and Cor grinning.

-x-x-x-x-

Stacker breathed his Guide in; the scent was familiar--he had long been friends and in close contact with Herc--but now it was amplified due to his coming online. The hand resting lightly on the base of his neck was new, too. It'd come as a shock to Stacker, who hadn't expected his muscles to turn to jelly the moment Herc so much as touched him; Herc had had to catch him and then settle them both on the bed. Not that Stacker had minded that; it gave him an excuse to be close to and touch his Guide, as his bed was the same single, standard-issue everyone else had.

Herc smiled at the muted surprise-content coming from the other man. He knew that the two would still have to wait to bond, as a chemical in the suppressants inhibited or outright prevented the bond from forming, but if this was all it took to calm and center him, they would have a much easier time than he'd expected. It wouldn't be easy to discreetly touch the back of his superior officer's neck, but if anyone could pull it off, it would be him and Stacker working together.

Stacker met Herc's smile with a small one of his own. This prompted the redhead to gently run his thumb over the base of his Sentinel's neck; a quiet, content sigh was the response.

The Aussie was also relaxed; he figured that between Tendo, the Kaidanovskys, Hermann and Alan, things would be kept running until they could sort things out. He knew Stacker was aware of this and that was part of the reason he no longer looked as though the future of the PPDC rested squarely on his shoulders. That said, the last time he'd seen the man this relaxed, it'd been after a drop and had involved several bottles of tequila shared between Stacker, Tamsin, Scott and himself. The thought of Stacker's long-dead copilot, as well as his battered brother, sobered him some, but the concern-protective-soothing that his Sentinel expressed through both physical and emotional means helped to chase away that feeling.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck tossed Moira a staff and stepped onto the mat.

Cor pulled a small bag of popcorn out of his pants pocket, moved so he was seated by Raleigh and smirked. Chance and Raleigh stared at him for a moment before Chance scooted closer to the other two and stole some popcorn.

Moira flipped Cor the bird before reluctantly stepping up as well. 

About ten minutes and three pins later, Chuck had gone from interested to bored as hell.

"How the _fuck_ did you manage to beat Becket?" The redhead snarled as he disarmed her the fourth time.

She glared at the staff pointed at her. "Because we weren't using those _things_."

Cor snickered, still munching on popcorn. Chance facepalmed; he knew what this was about. Raleigh was trying not to laugh, lost the battle and settled for muffling it in his sleeve. He knew Moira had been serious about not being good with staves--but that had been an understatement.

"You can't handle this but you can fight hand-to-hand?" 

"Put your stick down and I'll show you."

Chance groaned and facepalmed again. "Can you not? It sounds like a bad porno in here already."

Cor and Raleigh lost it then.

Chuck decided to just go with it. He somehow managed to keep a straight face as he set the staff aside. "Alright. Prove you can handle it."

That just made the peanut gallery dissolve into laughter again. 

"Saviors of the world, heroes of the Breach... all secretly twelve years old. Christ." Moira muttered as she got to her feet.

"We all know I never matured past that age!" Chance agreed, smirking.

Cor nodded with a straight face; Raleigh was still shaking with silent laughter.

"Christ." Moira repeated before she shook her head and turned her attention to Chuck, who smirked.

Five rounds later, he wasn't smirking. Moira'd only beaten him once, but he'd had to work for his other victories. It wasn't that she had more experience--he had his own, plus memories from his father to work from--but she was... unpredictable was the best word he could think of. It was different, it kept him on his toes and he found himself enjoying it. The look on Raleigh's face as he watched the two only added to it. He seemed calmer and while he always tensed whenever Moira lashed out, he was relaxed by the time Chuck blocked, dodged or returned the favor. From what Chuck could guess, it seemed Raleigh enjoyed seeing how good Chuck was, now that he wasn't frustrated and hampered by it.

"Not bad. For a girl." The redhead admitted once they were done.

He knew instantly that he'd just put his foot in it, even without what he was feeling from Raleigh. "... That came out wrong. Sorry."

Chance got to his feet in one smooth movement, eyes on his sister. Cor was a beat behind him, unsure if his copilot would need assistance restraining his sibling.

Moira's jaw muscle worked but she put her staff away instead of lunging for Chuck. "Do you ever open your mouth and **not** insert your foot?" She asked in a deceptively mild tone.

"D'you?" Chuck retorted, automatically defensive. The contrition was gone, replaced by a spiky and defiant feeling.

Moira eyed him for a moment, then glanced to Raleigh. The Sentinel in question was a combination of disturbed and angry; he met Moira's look and shook his head, jaw clenched. She sighed but shrugged and returned Chuck's staff to give herself further time to calm down.

Raleigh took a slow breath, let it out, then took another. He knew damn well if he went into protective mode, it would do little more than register as an "insult" where Chuck was concerned. It was actually the greatest deterrent he had in terms of stopping himself. Watching his Guide go from contrite to defensive-anger after a comment that was clearly intended to lighten the mood just proved how the treatment he'd received at the hands of the press and the public had shaped him. The fact that it had registered only as an insult, that it caused him to withdraw back into himself after they'd had him smirking and so much more relaxed than Raleigh had ever seen him, save the time he'd been asleep at his side in the infirmary? That was more than enough to trigger every protective instinct he had and then some.

Chance and Cor didn't need to do the look-exchange to communicate their fury, nor how badly they wanted to find every reporter to ever mock Chuck for being a Guide and string them up by their entrails. They also knew that this--his tendency to go from open to defensive anger--would further complicate whatever relationship he and Raleigh would have. 

Raleigh would relax and get comfortable around Chuck; Chuck would respond, at his own pace. And the dynamic would eventually reach a place where both were at ease. Then Raleigh would say something, something light and joking and kidding--and Chuck would clam up, lash out and push Raleigh away. Which would hurt, regardless of whether or not Raleigh understood--and he seemed to quite well, if the way he wordlessly explained to Moira was any indication.

Chuck glared at them all. "What?"

Moira sighed softly again. "It was a joke, Chuck. Supposed to lighten the mood, not piss you off." She had to bite her tongue; she'd almost said upset. 

The redhead measured the reactions from the other three to that statement. "A joke." He repeated.

Chance nodded.

Cor shrugged. "Guess you lot aren't friendly enough to start taking the mickey, yet." It was his turn to sigh when the other four simply stared at him. "Honestly, don't you four read?"

"It's two." Both Chuck and Moira snapped, then glared at each other.

Cor and Raleigh rolled their eyes in unison, which just made Chance snicker at them both.

Moira opened her mouth, stopped, closed it and held up her hands as if to say "not gonna touch that". Cor's response was a shit-eating grin, while Raleigh gave her a bitchface that had Chuck making a face of his own. Chance stole the remainder of the popcorn and gave the four a "yes, go on" look, hand poised at the top of the bag.

"Fuck you, man." Raleigh grumbled, but it had no real bite to it.

Chance dragged his gaze slowly over the other Sentinel's form, ignoring the growing outrage from Chuck. "I dunno. Cor, you up for a threesome?"

Cor swatted his Sentinel without hesitation. "Stop. Now."

Chance blinked, but nodded.

Chuck was glaring at him and appeared to be contemplating flinging himself at Chance. If he could knock the other man down and keep him down, it would be in his favor. Cor just pulled Chance out of lunging distance and had him go sit down, back against the wall.

Raleigh, however, shrugged. Chuck and he had never spoken about this, about what they wanted from each other aside from the bond. The fact that Chuck was his Guide and he was Chuck's Sentinel didn't exactly mean they were destined to be together. It meant that in terms of Guiding, Chuck was the best for him and so they would end up having some sort of relationship. But that relationship could just as easily be friends or something akin to siblings... Although if sex was a thing when it came to bonding, Raleigh was unsure of how that worked. And he was also a little worried about how asexual Guides or Sentinels handled it. 

"Hey, chill." Moira nudged him. "I dunno what you're thinking of, but I guarantee you it's not as bad as whatever you're assuming."

"Asexuals and bonding." Raleigh supplied, which caused severely confused looks from Chuck, Cor and Chance.

Moira, to his surprise, just grinned. "You've no idea what bonding entails, do you?"

"Like you do." Chuck snapped.

She merely pointed at the only bonded pair in their vicinity. "Brother and brother-in-law, in case you forgot."

"You don't ask about bonding!" The redhead snarled.

"She didn't ask." Chance muttered.

Cor shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "They're twins, Chuck."

As that registered, Raleigh couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Chuck's face.

"Both twenty-three, both two years older'n you. Both three years younger'n Raleigh, both..." She paused, then looked at Cor. "...six years younger'n Cor."

"You're twenty-nine?" Raleigh found himself asking.

Cor nodded. "Turned it sometime in November, yes."

Chance leaned against his Guide briefly; Cor simply smiled and nodded in response to the unasked question.

"I thought you didn't remember." Chuck muttered.

"It's more like most of my memories are... vague. I know I had family, I know I came from somewhere cold. But I don't remember names. Faces are... fuzzy, enough that I wouldn't recognize them if they tripped over me." Cor supplied readily enough.

"... What?" Raleigh murmured.

Cor looked to Moira, who nodded without a moment's hesitation.

"I had some sort of an accident. My memory, prior to a handful of years ago, is fairly shot because of it." Cor explained.

The blond eyed him for a long moment, then nodded. He was trying not to chase the thought telling him Cor would be very close in age, if not potentially sharing a birthday with Yancy. If things hadn't gone wrong, there was a chance that the man in front of him would have been a classmate of Yancy's. Hell, the two could have easily gone to the same college if the "someplace cold" was Alaska--which was fairly large, when all was said and done, so it could easily have been---

"--leigh! RAHLEIGH!"

He jolted, then moved backwards, catching himself with his hands so he didn't hit his head on the mat; Chuck was a hell of a lot closer than he had been.

"... That wasn't a zone." Moira informed the other three before Raleigh could get irritated.

"Then what the fuck was that?" Chuck hissed.

"After effect. I piloted Gipsy back to shore solo, remember?" Raleigh tried to keep the anger out of his tone, but judging by how Chuck stiffened, he was going to assume he'd failed.

"So you just... space out without focusing on any particular sense?" Cor offered.

Both Moira and Raleigh nodded.

"Then, you're right. Not a zone." Cor agreed, ignoring the absolutely arctic look he was receiving from Chuck.

"Whatever." The Aussie growled, then rose from where he'd been kneeling by Raleigh.

"Hey." The blond murmured. "It's not that I don't appreciate the concern. But for me? That's normal and I'm good about making sure it doesn't happen in a dangerous situation. It actually only normally happens when I'm comfortable enough around people to not..."

Chuck nodded; he didn't need Raleigh to attempt to marshal his thoughts into a coherent sentence. He got it.

Cor and Chance smirked at Moira, who returned the expression. The two were clicking and it was something they'd hoped to see. The fact that Chuck understood without Raleigh having to continue to explain was good; that he'd communicated as such despite being irritated was even better.

"You're gonna be out of a job sooooooon." Chance mouthed at Moira.

"Par for the course. And as awesome as Raleigh is, I'd much rather see him working with Chuck than me." She responded in kind, grinning. Cor just made a rapid-fire series of motions with his hands; they caught Raleigh and Chuck's attention and the two looked inquisitive and angry, respectively.

Moira's grin just widened. "I'd no idea that Chance taught you our sign-language."

"Drift." Chance mumbled, sounding the closest Chuck had ever heard to ashamed.

Cor and Moira just air-highfived, to Chance's shock.

"No. You two are not allowed to do the nonverbal communication thing." Chance blustered.

"Why?" Cor responded.

"Because we're enemies sworn to sup the other's blood?" Moira drawled.

"No more historical fiction for you. Or viking stuff." Chance muttered.

"Hellenic reconstructionist, brother. Not Asatru."

Raleigh and Cor laughed, while Chuck looked like he'd half a mind to leave before the IQ level of the room dropped any further.

Chance made a face, then shook it off. "Why don't you two spar before we call it a day?"

"... There's four of us. You might wanna be more specific." Moira snarked, then ducked the swat from Cor.

"Raleigh and Cor." Chance stated.

"You're..." The blond began.

"I have enough control. If not, well, there's two Guides more than capable of dropping me within arm's reach." He indicated Chuck and Moira. His sister grinned, taking it as the compliment and permission it was; Chuck stared, waiting for the punchline.

"I guess we could." The American murmured and followed Cor away from the edge of the mats.

"Staves or no?" Cor queried as he ran through a couple of quick stretches.

"... Staves." Raleigh supplied after thinking for a moment. He'd found that sparring with staves made it a little easier to ignore the "NO NO GUIDE NO HURT GUIDE" voice that came to life whenever he sparred one. Said voice had gotten to be all but nonexistant as far as Mako and Moira were concerned, due to how often he'd sparred with them. Chuck, well… his senses still normally tried to spike around the Guide, though the fact that he'd spent the majority of that time in physical contact with Raleigh seemed to lessen the effect his presence had. He made a mental note to avoid the side of the room Chuck was currently in, though, as he wanted to take no chances.

From what he'd seen of Echo Sabre's fights--which wasn't much, not until the one day he'd watched all of Striker's--he knew that both Chance and Cor favored brutal, fast and precise strikes. Which meant if he was too close to Chuck, a sense spiked and he got distracted, Cor would probably have him on his ass, hand over a newly forming bruise before he'd even have a chance to try to pull himself back out. Or be pulled out--he was pretty sure Moira, Chuck, or both would try to help.

Cor looked between Chuck and Raleigh, rolled his eyes and then grabbed a staff for him and Raleigh. He tossed the staff to Raleigh, who caught it and narrowed his eyes at Cor. There'd been more force than necessary behind that throw.

"Let's see what you can do, Becket."

The smirk on Cor's face was not comforting to Raleigh. It was downright unsettling to Chance and Moira. Even Chuck, who didn't know Cor quite as well, was also discomfited by the smirk.

"Let's." Raleigh responded evenly, raising his staff to the "guard" position.

Cor mirrored him, ignoring that this felt--normal. Right, even. 

Then the two clashed, the clack of wood on wood echoing through the room. For Raleigh, it was... odd. There was something familiar in the way Cor handled the staff, the way he flowed from one move to the next. And it had nothing to do with the fights he'd watched when Echo had fought alongside Striker. He honestly couldn't put his finger on why, but he'd a feeling if they kept fighting, it'd hit him. That or he'd be still awake at three am and realization would strike. One of the two, but he preferred the continuing and figuring it out as he went.

They traded strikes, neither gaining the upper hand on the other; both had yet to score even a single point. He frowned, then tried a maneuver he rarely used; mostly because it had been something Yancy was really good at and even contemplating the move usually caused a zone. He was more stable now, thankfully, so there were minimal problems executing it. Raleigh just hadn't expected Cor to suddenly whip around with the counter and knock him on his ass.

The smirk that had long since faded to controlled concentration reappeared. "Nice try."

Raleigh froze, staring up at the older man; he waited a moment, half expecting a "kid" to be tacked onto the end of the statement. Cor's smirk faded back to his usual neutral expression; he offered Raleigh a hand up. Unthinkingly, the blond took it--and countered the expected throw, which threw him off balance. That move? Had been one of Yancy's favorites maneuvers--offering him a hand, then flipping him when he took the offer at face value. A match was never over until it was called, so you had to expect anything and everything from an opponent. Or so Yancy had tried to tell him, each time they'd sparred.

He backed up two steps, leaving him space to work with between him and Cor. He needed to focus on the match at hand, but it was rapidly getting more difficult. That niggling sense of familiarity was only growing worse as the second match continued. It shook him, which made it hard to conduct a proper defense, let alone an offense. The second match ended faster than the first; he was flat on his back again, staring up at a smirking Cor.

This time he didn't wait for the hand; wasn't about to almost fall for the same trick twice. He rolled, keeping his grip on his staff and then lunged to his feet; the added distance gave him the time to regain his balance before Cor could attack again. Raleigh shook it off--shook it all off, the familiarity, the unsettling remark, the trick that reminded him so much of Yancy. Round three was faster and more brutal than the first two; this time, Raleigh was able to focus, able to do more than just dodge or block while grappling with confusion. And it was Cor's turn to end up flat on his back, although it wasn't a complete role reversal since Raleigh wasn't smirking down at him.

As round four began, Raleigh realized part of the reason he was so unsettled. Sparring with Cor was like fighting an old friend, someone who knew his moves well enough to reproduce them flawlessly as well as know when he was going to use what move. He guessed it was creepier for Chuck, Chance and Moira--they were watching from the outside, so they'd just see the two mirroring one another. He... didn't know what to make of it, honestly.

He could see Mako pulling this off, easily. They'd drifted, so she knew his moves as well as he knew hers. He could almost see Moira managing to copy one or two of his moves after all their training together, but they'd be rough and unrefined and not quite an exact copy. Even Chuck he could see being able to mirror him to an extent, due to his innate talent and presumable knowledge of Raleigh's fighting style. But what Cor was doing? Was more like someone who'd either studied it extensively or actually trained with Raleigh before.

Neither of which was comforting, since Cor wasn't a familiar face. And the idea of someone studying his moves that closely was more than a little creepy. So by round four? Raleigh was more than a little unnerved, but it wasn't until round five that Chance sorta snapped. Chuck blocked him; Moira took the distraction for what it was, then dropped Chance.

Cor's eyes narrowed, but he reengaged Raleigh with his staff instead of heading for his Sentinel.

Though, it was probably the reason why round five was short and brutal. Even if it did end in a tie, which ended the entire thing in a tie. Cor claimed rounds one and two; Raleigh had rounds three and four. With round five as a draw...

Cor bowed slightly before he put his staff back, then went to nudge his Sentinel awake.

"That was a bit rougher than necessary." He commented in a bland tone, though Chuck drew back from him slightly at the sheer menace he was radiating.

"I used a pressure point, not an anvil. Calm your pecs."

Chance blinked up at them blearily. "Did you just tell him to calm his tits?"

Cor turned to Moira. "Give me your hand."

Raleigh hurriedly motioned to her to NOT do that and Chuck gave her a "really?" look; she obligingly held it out. Cor grabbed her wrist and then slammed the heel of her palm into his forehead.

"There." He stated stiffly as Chance giggled.

"Woo. Revenge." Moira responded, appropriately deadpan, which only made Chance giggle harder; it did clear things up for Chuck and Raleigh.

"What time is it, anyway?" Raleigh asked as he returned his staff.

"Time for you to get a watch!" Chance half yelled before cracking up again.

"... Yep." Moira muttered.

"He's fine." Cor agreed. "And it's close to three, now."

Chuck frowned; his father should have found him by now. The fact that he had been called to the infirmary made him all the more nervous. He was well aware his father had piloted a Mark I; was well aware of the risk of cancer because of it. But he hadn't expected his dad to just disappear on him or go silent or any of the other thousand and one things that could have caused him to not show up with Max in tow.

"Something wrong?" Cor queried as he gave Chance a hand up.

Chuck shook his head and left before anyone else could question him.

Raleigh watched him go, frowning. He didn't know the Aussie too well yet, but even he could tell that was a lie.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck was able to keep himself in check enough that his walk to the infirmary was just that--a walk. For all he knew, his dad was still talking with the Marshall. He was the man's second-in-command; it would make sense that the two were discussing what to do next, how to keep the PPDC running. Even though their meetings never usually took hours, as the Marshal was very straight forward and concise--same as his father was, now that he thought on it.

As he neared the entrance, he hesitated for a moment. He could sense someone--someone familiar--in there. And they were barely coherent, as well as in a lot of pain. The ball of nerves seemed to solidify into a ball of ice--what the fuck happened? He headed in without any further consideration.

The first person he saw was the head Guide, who looked like he'd been… crying? His eyes were overbright; even as he approached, a tear slid down his cheek. Chuck walled off his growing dread and continued closer. He tried to tell himself that if something bad, something serious, had gone wrong with his dad, they would have called him much sooner. 

"Thank goodness you're here." The head Guide said distractedly, which did nothing to calm Chuck.

A leash was handed to him, with a clearly unhappy Max attached.

Chuck looked from his dog to the head Guide, confused.

"I'm allergic to dogs." He managed out before sneezing, then wiping at his watery eyes.

A muscle in the Aussie's jaw twitched as he fought the urge to punch him. The thought completely fled his mind once he saw the battered redhead in the bed behind him.

"Is that..." He stopped, not sure he wanted the answer.

The head Guide shook his head. "Not your father. Your uncle."

"Uncle Scott?" Chuck repeated. "What the hell--"

"We don't know. Not yet. They're working on it." Al--known to most as the head Guide--supplied readily.

"Where the fuck is my dad, then?" He snarled suspiciously. Chuck thought he knew his dad; knew he'd stick by the side of any family member that badly hurt. Even if he couldn't do anything in terms of medical assistance, he could make sure no one got close enough to hurt them further. 

Al looked poleaxed. Visibly and utterly poleaxed, which was not an expression he'd ever seen the man wear before.

"He... never told you?"

The sick, sinking feeling of dread was back and harder to wall off. If there was one thing he hated, one thing he couldn't stand, wouldn't ever stand, it was being kept in the dark. Especially not by his own father, his goddamned co-pilot. It was said that one could hide nothing in the drift and his father should have been no exception to that rule. Should have had no reason to be the exception to that rule.

"Never told me what?" He ground out.

Al paused before responding, "that he'd found his Sentinel, among other things."

For a moment, all sound stopped. Everyone around him froze.

His father had found his Sentinel. His father, the one who'd shown him it was more than possible for a Guide to live without a Sentinel, without actually being a Guide, had a Sentinel. The fact that his father was nowhere to be seen argued that he was with that Sentinel. Which probably meant the two were bonding.

"Chuck?"

He snapped out of a combination of shock and... betrayal?... long enough to respond. Chuck had no idea what he'd said, whether it was his usual snarky, snappy comeback or some bland statement of being alright, before he took Max and left. Walked right out of the infirmary-- _leaving Uncle Scott behind!_ a part of him shrieked but he ignored it--and made a beeline for his room. That, _fuck him_ , he no longer shared with his dad. Not as far as he was concerned.

The moment the door closed behind him and Max, he locked it, then leaned back against it.

At his feet, Max whined and pawed at his boot. He knew something was wrong with his human, something was very wrong. 

-x-x-x-x-

Mako grinned at Hu before they shook hands. The game had ended with a sweeping win for the triplets, though the Kaidanovskys and Mako had still managed to score those initial twelve points. From there, it had been a shutout, with Hu, Cheung and Jin pulling ahead, then away. The game had ended at the agreed "first to twenty-one points".

Aleksis was still smiling slightly as he shook hands with Cheung; Sasha, however, was wearing her predator's grin as she shook hands with an unsettled Jin. 

"Good game." Mako murmured as they all collected their things.

"It was." Aleksis agreed. 

"You three were right." Sasha acknowledged.

Hu grinned; Cheung nodded; Jin simply shrugged, not wishing to provoke another grin like that. 

"We shall find Becket boy, yes?" Sasha stated as they all headed for the Kwoon.

"Agreed." Jin responded.

Mako led the way, with Hu just a step behind.

Cheung wanted to laugh, but it was a nice thing. Seeing Hu attached to someone that was not the two of them. Someone they both knew he could trust, could remain attached to without having to worry it was because they were after fame or a story. When Jin merely gave a quick, almost imperceptible nod, Cheung smiled again. He was fairly certain that meant his other brother agreed.

"Still mushy." Jin grumbled as they tailed the Kaidanovskys up the hall.

"Agreed." Cheung murmured with a straight face as Jin gave him a flat look.

-x-x-x-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright gang, question/survey time.  
> Longer chapters, longer wait?  
> Or shorter chapters, shorter wait?  
> Lemme know in the comments please! (Or pester me on tumblr. Either way is fine.)


	6. Sorry it took so long DX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things fiiiiiinally start slowly coming together. Chuck matures some, Cor has a heart-to-heart with someone you aren't expecting (or maybe you are), the winners of the basketball game and the bet are revealed and I try my best to keep track of everyone in this chapter, though some feature more heavily than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holyshitmylifetookoverwithavengeance. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long AND I will FINALLY get to reveal some stuff that I've been sitting on. Argh.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh had stretched and cooled down after his match, but still found himself glancing in the direction Chuck had gone. He was certain--despite not knowing the Aussie too well--that he'd been upset or at least unsettled when he'd left. Considering the kaiju were gone--hopefully forever--and nothing else seemed to be going on, sans the next interview in two weeks, there wasn't really anything that should upset him. And the only things Raleigh could think of? Were that something had happened to Max or to Herc. Neither of which was a situation that the blond wanted to contemplate. Chuck didn't have a lot of family left--his dad, his dog and maybe his uncle. He didn't want to see how the redhead would react to losing any of them, especially his dog.

"Y'alright?" Chance asked before covering a yawn.

Raleigh nodded. "Wonder how the basketball game went..." He commented, as much to draw attention to the triplets, Kaidanovskys and Mako's still being missing as to derail any potential wondering what he was thinking and the ensuing conversation. He... didn't want to discuss it. Felt almost like he'd be betraying Chuck to bring it to the others' attention, let alone having a conversation about it.

"We should know soon." Cor retorted as he smothered a yawn of his own.

Moira frowned. "I dunno. Jin, at least, is mad competitive. So I don't think he'd be willing to let anything close to a tie go."

At this, Raleigh grinned. "Sasha's the same way."

Chance chuckled. "So they'll be playing 'til the end of time, is what you're saying."

"Probably." Raleigh and Moira responded in stereo; Cor just snickered.

"Let's all be glad no one's organized some sort of sporting competition between all the remaining teams, yeah?" Cor said.

Chance's eyes took on a frightening gleam.

"No." His Guide stated. "Absolutely not."

Raleigh looked to Moira.

"You're doomed." She said without a hint of hesitation.

"Not helping." Cor muttered flatly as he attempted to dissuade his stubborn Sentinel.

"Not helping what?" Mako inquired as she led the group of six in.

"Oh no. Don't you even, Chance." Cor snapped as the younger man opened his mouth.

"But, but..."

"No." Cor stated. "Not right now, at least." He amended.

"Okay. ‘Not right now’ I can work with."

Cor groaned.

"Your problem, not mine." Moira muttered, hands in a "don't look at me" gesture.

Sasha merely raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fine." Raleigh stated before anyone could ask, covertly or otherwise.

Sasha frowned.

"No more zones. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Moira affirmed.

"... I don't think that's how that goes." Raleigh said as Jin blanched and Hu made a disgusted face. Chance just exchanged a commiserating glance with Cheung.

Aleksis tilted his head to the side slightly. "Perhaps you Americans are tougher than you look."

"Alrighty then, new topic." Chance cut in.

"Baby Hansen kicked your ass?" Sasha asked, eyes on Moira.

"Pretty much. Helps that he's not a Sentinel, I don't know his style at all and there were fucking staves involved." She grumbled playfully.

That drew a chuckle from those who were well aware of how staves and Moira did not get on.

"Any chance we could continue the training thing now?" Cheung inquired.

Mako glanced to Cor, then Moira.

Both shrugged, then looked to the others.

No one seemed opposed until Raleigh said, "if we do, we should get Chuck."

"Sounds good to me." Chance said with a yawn. "But, can we call it quits for today?"

"You didn't even do anything, lazybones." Cor remarked with a slight smirk.

"Watching Chuck hand Moira her ass was---"

Chance tried to duck before his sister could swat him; the others simply chuckled.

-x-x-x-x-

Stacker lay next to Herc on his bed, a faint smile on his features as he considered his Guide. The other man had fallen asleep not long after walking him through the basics as far as dialing senses up and down went. That was more than alright with him, however, as the scent he could only identify as 'stress' was slowly fading the longer Herc slept.

At this point, the Marshal just had to be glad things had happened the way they did. Had the suppressants failed earlier, it would have been that much harder to watch his Guide march off to what could have easily been his death. He also wasn't sure he would have been able to remain distant and professional as he had been, prior to coming online. He smothered a sigh as he paused to consider how much of a mess this was likely to cause.

He knew this would be a large blow to all those who had held Herc up as proof that a Guide did not need to guide, did not need a Sentinel to be fine, to be whole, to be healthy. He also knew that both of their judgment would be called into question, especially since it was known Herc was his second in command. And this was all just external issues, as he had a feeling that his Guide had never so much as hinted that he'd found his Sentinel to Chuck...

Which opened up a whole new can of worms. He knew allowing Chuck to pilot, to be regularly exposed to the Ponns system, from such a young age was not the best of ideas. But he was also certain that Herc would settle for no one less than his son as his copilot, provided his son could do as needed and was drift-compatible. Unfortunately on both accounts, Chuck fit the bill. Which lead to a fifteen-year-old boy who should have been worrying about high school and homework being one of the elite few who were defending the world from the kaiju. He'd honestly been against the decision from the start—not because he was also a Guide, but because he was fifteen. However, he'd been well aware if he'd so much as mentioned this dislike of Chuck piloting, Herc would have most likely taken it as a bias against Guides and the man would have likely lost much of the faith he had in him.

Which would have, in turn, meant that today would have never happened. That his Guide wouldn't be here, by his side, bonding with him. The chemicals in the suppressants were almost completely flushed from his system; this meant the actual bond would form soon. And while this time uninterrupted with his Guide was something he'd craved for a long time, he couldn't help but be concerned over how things were being handled in his and his Guide's absence. Herc was his second-in-command for a reason: he hated the bureaucracy but could get the job done. Tendo lacked that kind of experience; he had been directly under his command for almost the entire time he'd been Marshal.

Then again, Tendo would have help. And there was no longer the threat of the kaiju in their immediate future.

He supposed it could keep for another week.

-x-x-x-x- 

Raleigh yawned as the others squabbled over whether now was the time to go to dinner or not. So far, the only one against getting dinner had been Cor; for what reason, Raleigh couldn't fathom, as he'd been sparring and had to have worked up an appetite with the rest of them. Exempting Chance, but he was always hungry.

He didn't know how much later it was, but a gentle poke to his side had him cracking his eyes open. When had he fallen asleep? Aleksis had done the poking, and his hand was now extended in an offer to help him stand up. He took it with a slight grin, then stood. Raleigh had no clue why the others suddenly looked sheepish but he was gonna bet it had something to do with the combined force of Mako and Sasha, both of whom looked rather annoyed. “What’d I miss?”

"Nothing important." Mako responded before everyone began to head for the cafeteria.

Aleksis, to Raleigh's surprise, stuck with him instead of rejoining his wife. Mako, when he glanced at her, didn't seem surprised, so he figured it must've been worked out while he was asleep. He wasn't sure what was going on but he was wanted food so he'd just go with it for now.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh spent most of dinner trying to discreetly keep an eye out for Chuck. He hadn't forgotten how he'd looked when he'd disappeared after the last spar. Aleksis, however, kept distracting him with poking and prodding to eat. Mako, after she noticed, joined in as well. Hu just smiled and let it go; he knew his Guide simply wanted to ensure her copilot ate enough and had no intentions of running off with the unbound Sentinel. 

When Raleigh finally looked up from his almost empty plate, he found that the majority of the people at their table and a few nearby were staring at Aleksis--or trying not to. The blond raised an eyebrow at the Russian, who just shrugged and kept eating. Raleigh took the hint and finished his plate without further poking or prompting. 

It was only when dessert started that Raleigh noticed Sasha's absence. Raleigh's gaze drifted to Aleksis. The man just offered Raleigh his equivalent of a grin--the only one who got the real grin was Sasha--but that only made Raleigh more curious.

Where could Sasha have gotten off to, especially if Aleksis didn't want to talk about it?

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha approached the door, knowing without having to check that it would be locked. Then again, locks weren't much of an obstacle for her. They never had been. She had a feeling baby Hansen might be easier to get through to if she didn't have to break into his room to talk with him, though. Some people were particular in that way.

Her first knock went unanswered, save for Max's barking. Considering baby Hansen treated his Max as well as they did their own Samoyeds, he had to be there. They never confined their dogs to their room unless they were there to play with and pet them; Hansen, they knew, felt the same way.

So she knocked again. When it came to doors and locks, she ran on a three strikes policy, unless there was a threat of immediate danger. Seeing as she doubted baby Hansen had hurt himself, she figured she'd give him a chance to open the door himself. Max continued barking, but the door stayed stubbornly shut. She gave one more solid knock; there was no way he could miss the first two, but this would go easier if he would permit her entrance himself.

After a long moment, she prepared to unlock the door her way, but before she could, she heard the lock being disengaged; a pale, tight face appeared in the crack between door and wall. 

"What?" Chuck hissed, only to to pull back slightly, eyes widening, when he saw who was outside his door.

She raised an eyebrow.

He stepped aside and let her in, but closed the door and relocked it after her. 

Max waddled over to flop on her feet and shamelessly beg for pets; she obliged him, but offered Chuck the food she'd nabbed from the cafeteria as well.

"...thanks." Was the reluctant response as he eyed the floor.

"You hide instead of eating. Why?" She asked once Max had tired of being petted and wandered back to flomp in his dog bed.

"Like you don't already know." He returned; when her response was to simply stare at him, he reconsidered. "The old man. He's Pentecost's Guide."

"And?"

"What d'yah mean 'and'?!"

“And who cares?”

Chuck spluttered incoherently.

"Why does it matter? Herc is still Herc, Sentinel or no Sentinel." Sasha added firmly. "Still does same things, still capable of same things."

"It's--"

"You have Sentinel, too." She cuts in. "Were you to bond with Raleigh, would that make you bad as he is?"

Chuck froze, as though the thought hadn't occurred to him.

"So you are angry, but perhaps not over that." Sasha said. 

Chuck ran a hand through his hair; it was already sticking up, so it was easy to assume he'd done this multiple times before. She refused to find that endearing.

"Why're you here, anyway? Thought you were best buddies with Becket, now." He growled, trying to deflect.

"If Raleigh made comment about your mother, he would get same." Sasha responded coolly. “You have inclination to believe that person’s dislike of you is them being prejudiced asses. In truth, is your actions that cause much of problems here."

Chuck flinched. It wasn't that he'd forgotten about his comment. He just...hadn't figured out how to apologize yet. While he knew he could generally be a pain in the ass, he knew it was a cheap shot as soon as he said it. He would've pounded the ever loving shit out of whoever said something like that, so how the fuck was he suppose to apologize for that? Then the second half of hers sank in. 

"What?" He snapped.

"Have you seen same people interact with little Mako? The head Guide? They do not treat them as less. There are genuinely prejudiced people. Shatterdome is not a place where many are; the Marshall does not permit it. We do not permit it."

He could only stare at her; his assumption had been unquestioned for so long that it had become habit to assume anyone who was nasty to him--with a few notably clear exceptions--simply had it out for Guides or thought he was 'above his station' because he was one. 

Sasha merely waited for this to penetrate Chuck's thick skull. He was a good kid; there was no denying that, especially as it was known that he took to piloting to try to prevent anyone else's family from being torn apart the way his own was. That said, his attitude was grating at times and he needed to learn how to interact with people, as being a Hero of the Breach would only permit him to continue this behavior for so long. He also needed to apologize to Raleigh but she supposed that would have to be on his terms. Better to have him wait to do it and manage it sincerely than have him rush it to appease others, then Raleigh find out later on that it seemed to have been the only reason he'd apologized. Based on the fact that she knew Chuck wasn't a complete ass, coupled with the flinch at the mention of his comment, she figured he was also aware of how big a deal what he said was. If he knew that, then he also knew how important a real apology would be.

"Still doesn't change that he never said anything." Chuck finally growled.

"Would be better reaction if you knew?" Sasha retorted, but the words lacked the bite they would have had if she were talking to someone she deemed a fool. "He would still be with someone not your mother. Still, in your eyes, less of role model."

Chuck swallowed, but said nothing.

"You would react only way you know how: with anger and lashing out. Against the Marshall. How long it take him to ground you?"

He closed his but responded, "not long."

"Then you understand why Hercules did not tell you."

"Yeah, but--"

"You understand. Does not mean you have to like."

For the second time, Chuck just stared at her.

"Why are you telling me this?" He finally managed to get out.

"I thought you knew." She said gently. "Jaeger pilots must always stick together, regardless if we are male or female, Sentinel or Guide. If we do not watch after each other, who will? If you haven’t figured that simple truth out, then there is much we still must teach you."

Chuck gave her a flat look. "You look out for your fellow Rangers."

"Why so surprising I bring you food and speak with you, then?" She said.

His expression could only be called flat. "Because you sided with Becket."

"I am not against you. Am against your shitty attitude."

Chuck didn't have anything to say to that. Just like he would never admit that when she remained with him while he ate, it helped him to feel a bit less isolated, a bit less angry.

She eventually stood. "You should get food tomorrow with everyone."

Sasha was halfway out of the room before she heard a grumbled, "maybe."

She was going to count that as a win.

-x-x-x-x-

Tendo sighed quietly as he rubbed as his temples. Whoever was clicking that pen needed to stop and stop yesterday but when he glanced up, he found no one doing so.

"Alright, people, let's call it til after dinner."

That won him grins and high-fives until the person appointed to be Stacker's new secretary walked into the room.

All celebration ceased as everyone eyed the newcomer, who didn't much leave his office.

"I'm here to inform a--" He paused and looked down at the paper he held. "--Mr. Choi that he is Temporary Marshall until--" He looked down at the paper again, frowning. "--further notice."

The whispers began but they were drowned out for Tendo by the absolute shock. Sure, he was J-Tech Chief. Sure, he kept the hangars--both the people and jaegers in them--running like well-oiled machines. But most of that was knowing people, knowing who to add to what crew, who would work the best with the others already there. Or who to have sub in if there was an injury. His normal work entailed people and machines, not paperwork. Not responsibility for the entire 'Dome and everyone in it.

"Shouldn't that message be for Ranger Hansen?" He found himself asking.

"No, it's clearly marked 'Tendo Choi'." The secretary said before handing him the paper.

"Okay, people, still breaking for dinner. Be back by seven, yeah?"

That got him murmurs of of affirmation before everyone except the secretary streamed out and towards the mess hall.

The secretary stood before him, expectantly.

He allowed himself a sigh before he broke the seal on the envelope and began to read what his orders from Stacker were. The building headache only seemed to worsen as his eyes skimmed the lines that told him exactly why this message wasn't for Herc Hansen.

-x-x-x-x-

"Chuuuuuuuuuck." The whining, drawn-out call of his name was accompanied by a loud pounding on the door.

It'd only been a half hour since Sasha left and Chuck was still stewing over what she'd said.

"What?" He snarled, opening the door. It was Chance and he knew damn well the fucking irritating Sentinel wouldn't piss off until acknowledged.

"Hi!" Chance said, grinning. Cor stood with him, an unfamiliar bag hanging off one shoulder.

"Piss off." Chuck returned and made to shut the door, but Chance stopped him.

"Either you come with us or we're coming in. Your choice." Cor stated.

Chuck stared. "Not much of a choice." He growled but moved aside so they could come in. He knew better, now, than to try to stop Chance. Idiot the man was, but that idiot was a force of nature when provoked. He didn't know what the fuck had provoked him, but he recognized the mood.

Cor merely opened the mystery bag, pulled out a laptop and booted it up while Chance fussed over Max.

The redhead glared at his dog; goddamn traitor was wagging his stub at Chance and leaning into the fussing.

"Which?"

He turned to find Cor holding out several DVDs: one was Tangled, one was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and the other was Wreck It Ralph. He pointed at Wreck It Ralph; he figured a movie about someone destroying things would fit his mood well.

"Awh, I was hoping for Tangled." Chance grumbled.

"We can kidnap your sister and watch it later tonight." Cor responded as he put Wreck It Ralph in.

"This plan, I like it, another!" 

"He won't get that reference yet, genius." Was Cor's bored retort as Chuck stared at them like they were nuts.

The three settled in and watched the film. In spite of himself, Chuck found himself being drawn in and even laughing at some points. When Max tired of Chance's fussing and flopped on his lap, he only petted him absently.

Chance grinned and asked, "whatcha think?" as the credits rolled.

"Pretty good." He admitted stiffly.

Chance and Cor highfived. 

"Awesome! You'll have to join us next time we watch it, yeah?"

Chuck stared at him.

"Of your own volition." Chance added.

"You know what that word means?" Was all Chuck could think to say.

Chance, to his shock, laughed. "Yep! M'da was a lawyer. Anyway, we'll let you alone now. We just wanted to hang out for a little, not take over your entire evening. You'll join us for breakfast, yeah?"

Chuck just blinked.

Cor smirked. "Or we can bring food to you. Either way works for us, but you need to be around people more. Only way you'll get better at it and all that jazz."

The Aussie glowered at them.

"Hey, no glaring. We're trying to help."

"Why?" Chuck snapped.

"Well, you probably think of us as annoying trainers, but I consider you a friend at least. And, well, you're a Ranger too. Rangers look after our own." Chance stated; Cor simply nodded his agreement.

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh yawned and climbed into his bed without a second thought. While there were days he'd been more tired--like days he'd piloted--all the sparring he'd done today had caught up with him. Thanks to this, plus the short meditation session he'd been dragged into, he was out rather quickly.

-x-x-x-x-

Newt eyed the stack of papers in front of him. Thankfully, they were not part of what he had been helping the Marshal with. No, these were worse; they demanded responses or signatures from him and him alone. All were scientific in nature, though he was half convinced a few of those scientists were actually kaiju cultists in disguise but he'd vet each request more thoroughly once he had a chance to wrap his mind around the sheer volume of people now wanting to meet with, talk to and work with him.

There was another, almost larger, stack of papers that were joint requests for all three of them. Two slightly smaller piles were for either Hermann or Vanessa.

While, after years of being dismissed and treated like the scientist equivalent of the ebola virus, it was nice to have some gratification and acknowledgment... he found he didn't care as much as he once had, for one. They'd won, they were done; the kaiju were no more. And while he definitely would continue to study them until he'd created something that would easily wipe them from the face of the planet once he'd dissected every possible part of them, he...didn't want much in the way of helpers. Or interlopers.

He found he was somewhat pissed, now, that everyone was suddenly oh-so-interested. They saved the fucking world, so now everyone wanted to try to make up for how they behaved prior to that. Bunch of fucking kiss asses, that's all they were.

That and his anger were secondary to his other problem. All three of them had a near-equal amount of offers together as alone but....it was obvious the better ones were the separate ones, because it gave them leave to study their separate fields extensively. And they'd only just gotten back together, the three of them, after having to spend so long apart due to the war. That and...he kinda wanted to stay here, with the PPDC. He had no guarantees that Hermann or Vanessa would want to, as they had a wider range of opportunities, while most of his solo ones seemed to be limited to K-Science exclusively.

Vanessa padded in, still damp from her shower and paused. “You organized them?”

He nodded and indicated which piles were which. Hermann returned from the side room—the office, they'd dubbed it—in time to hear the explanation.

Vanessa bit her lip. “I appreciate that you did this for us, but...”

Herman sighed. “I plan to use them for kindling."

Newt blinked once, twice. “...you're burning them?”

“I believed you would approve, as I have no intention of leaving the Pan Pacific Defense Corps.” The man paused, before continuing, “I could see perhaps guest lectures, but none of this professor nonsense. If anyone wishes to learn from me specifically, they may come and join us here.”

Vanessa nodded. “So it's not that we don't appreciate it, but--”

“No.” Newt cut her off. “I'm glad. I approve. Really." He looked down. “Was...kinda worried."

She didn't hesitate to come over and wrap her arms around him; Hermann joined them, touching both equally.

“We only just got to reestablish our bond.” Vanessa nuzzled Newt. “And I, for one, have no intention of being separated from either of you for the next year at least.”

Hermann nodded his agreement and even gave Newt a nuzzle too.

The shorter scientist relaxed and returned the affection. “Love you guys.”

“And we, you.” Hermann responded. “Do not forget it.”

His answer was a smile he hadn't seen since the tide had turned in the war. For him, it was enough...even though they were back to paperwork duty in a few days.

-x-x-x-x-

Sasha stretched languidly; after their prolonged and warm shower, plus the basketball game, her muscles were loose in a way they hadn't been in quite some time. She looked down at their “work” phone and frowned. Apparently it had died sometime after their basketball game, if the sudden influx of emails, texts and missed calls were any indication.

A soft kiss to the back of her neck made her smile. “We have missed much.”

“Was worth it." Aleksis murmured as he eyed the phone."Time to sort."

She nodded. “With luck, there will be message we wait for.”

The look that comment earned her was for her and her alone; she indulged herself and pressed a kiss to his lips before the two got to work on sorting through the massive amount of emails, texts and voicemails.

It was not until almost two in the morning that they found the first one they had missed. It was a rather brief email, but it was the subject line that really caught their attention. Sasha knew her expression at the moment was probably a bloodthirsty smile; knew, even without the drift, that her husband and copilot was echoing it.

Their contact had done it, had found the bastard Octavius.

And he'd done one better.

The asshole in question was now on his way to Hong Kong, where it would be very, very easy for them to question him, and then ensure he mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again.

...She had a feeling that they would not be the only ones who wanted to speak with the beast, however. So they would be nice, they would behave, they would let the others have a turn. But in the end?

They would have the final say. And Yancy Becket would finally be avenged.

-x-x-x-x-

Mako yawned discreetly, covering her mouth with her hand. Hu looked up from his book, expression softening at the sight of her.

Across the room, his brothers mimed gagging or rolled their eyes.

While they were glad they were trying a new rooming solution—one that let those two be together but didn't have Cheung and Jin twitching due to ghost drifting—they could also do without the watching their brother go all mushy over Mako.

Cheung was more amused than annoyed, but Jin looked like he was ready to attempt to smother himself with a pillow rather than continue to see his brother going ga-ga over someone. Admittedly, that someone was a very strong, very competent and very intelligent woman who just happened to compliment him very well but that wasn't the point.

The eldest rolled his eyes. “Relax, Jin. Is honeymoon stage.”

“Honeylife is more like it.” Came the stubborn grumble, though both knew that things were nowhere near as bad as Jin made it sound. They had made progress on their own with their attempts to use the drift to pull Hu from a zone, Mako was much more understanding than the average person and perfectly willing to let them have brother-time, and they'd beaten the Kaidanovskys at basketball, as per their bet. His brother being overly sappy was about the only thing Jin could find to complain about, aside from the upcoming press conference.

Cheung shook his head. “Let them. We find our own person to be with soon enough.”

Jin glared at him and put the pillow on top of his head. _Ugh._

-x-x-x-x-

Raleigh jerked awake, covered in a cold sweat; the memory of “ _Raleigh listen to me_ \--” still echoed in his ears and mind. He shuddered and pulled the blanket around him for a moment as he took a slow breath. He hadn't had that dream since the night after Chuck had made the crack about Yancy...

He frowned. While Herc had managed to trigger a flashback fairly recently, it wasn't...he'd been calm, been adjusted, been okay when he went to bed. Which usually meant that his dreams, at least, wouldn't go from dream to nightmare to memory and back again like some ungodly insomnia-causing tilt-o-whirl.

He released another slow breath before he dropped the blanket and threw on a sweater, then slammed his feet into his boots. The blonde was well aware that when he got like this, the best course of action was to go for a walk, maybe grab something warm to drink. With that in mind, he headed for the cafeteria. He'd get his walk and his warm drink; two for one. To his insomnia-addled brain, this sounded like an amazing idea.

Fortunately for him, when he arrived, there was already someone there with two steaming mugs. For a second, his heart clenched painfully; back when Yance was alive, this was something that had happened far more often than he'd care to admit.

But this wasn't his brother. They were shorter and had the wrong hair color; it was also far longer than Yancy had ever kept it, save that one dare in middle school that had his hair so long it was brushing his shoulders. They looked up.

Cor nodded to him, then indicated the tea.

Raleigh didn't question it; he took the seat across the table from him and took a sip of the tea. It tasted like liquid candy cane, but not quite as sweet.

“Peppermint.” Cor responded idly before Raleigh could even formulate the question.

“How...?” Raleigh ended up managing out instead.

“You are far from the only one with insomnia.” Was the bland retort. “In this case, I could tell someone was coming and figured I could at least share my tea.”

Raleigh eyed him over the rim of the cup. “You thought it was Chance or Moira, didn't you?”

Cor rolled his eyes. “Hardly. Those two I know by signature. The rest of the Rangers are becoming familiar, however. You are among them.”

The blonde hid his frown in the cup, which he was still sipping from. It was, admittedly, delicious. “Thanks.”

The shorter man nodded and went back to his book, as well as his neglected cup.

“...what is this, exactly?” Raleigh found himself questioning after a few moments of silence.

Cor closed his book and put it on the table; the motion was more resigned than snappish. “Peppermint tea with honey. Soothing, no caffeine to be found.”

“Perfect comfort drink for insomnia?”

He nodded before abruptly changing the subject. “Were you serious?”

“About?”

“Having Chuck train with you.”

“Yeah. Not like he's the only one who's training. Probably should work together, since we're working on things that overlap.”

“How so?” Cor's voice was as neutral as his expression.

“I'm learning to control my senses. He's learning to use his empathy. We're probably gonna end up at least working together, so learning one another's strengths, weaknesses and quirks now is, well...” He shrugged. “Seems like a good idea.”

“So this is about practicality?”

Raleigh stared at him for a long moment. “You interrogating me because you're worried for Chuck? Or d'you just not want us all training together?”

“Little of both.” Cor ceded. “But what I need to know is if you're doing this because you pity him.”

Had the chair not been attached to the table, Raleigh would have knocked it over when he stood. “You know damn well he works better training with me than he does with Chance! And I already said it'd give us a shot to get to know one another better, so fuck you for thinking any of this has to do with pity!”

Cor, to his shock, was smiling. “Good to know.” He took a sip of his tea. “That doesn't taste half as good cold.” He offered blandly, indicating Raleigh's cup.

The blonde wanted to curse at him, but felt the anger draining from him as rapidly as it'd appeared. He eyed the Guide; wasn't so sure he wanted to touch that tea again.

Cor reached across the table, snagged Raleigh's cup, took a gulp, then replaced it. His expression was clearly 'you were saying?'

Raleigh glared but took his seat and slowly drank the rest of his tea. He really didn't like that little half smile on Cor's face, but hell if he knew what put it there.

“My apologies.” He commented, raising his eyes from his cup. “But I wasn't sure of your intentions, and while I know damn well Chuck can take care of himself... he's been through enough.”

Raleigh eyed the tea bag bobbing slightly in the bottom of his mug. “I can agree to that.”

“Then you and I should have no problems.”

For a long moment, Raleigh waited; expected something else to go with that statement. That was when it hit him: he was expecting there to be a 'kid' or even a 'brat' attached to that statement. Because that was exactly how Yancy would refer to him and Cor? Cor fought exactly like him...

“Something wrong?”

“No.” He replied calmly enough and drained the last of his tea, mumbled a thanks and quickly disappeared back to his room. The idea of being alone with someone who knew his moves and Yancy's moves as well as they did, when one was dead and the other was him? A little too eerie to entertain this late at night.

… he made sure to engage the lock on his door before he snagged a book and sprawled out on his bed. He'd a feeling he wouldn't manage any more sleep that night, so he might as well read one of the books that seemed to keep sneaking their way into his room.

-x-x-x-x-

Around four am, he gave up and went back to the cafeteria; figured maybe warm milk would help where the tea hadn't. He paused a moment to eye Cor, who was still seated at that same table, though he was quite a bit further through the book.

Cor gave him a distracted nod as he thumbed through a section of the book, uncapped highlighter clenched between his teeth. His hair stuck up in all directions, like he'd run his hands through it repeatedly. 

"What're you reading?" Raleigh finally asked after several moments of silence.

"Book on gangs around Anchorage. It deconstructs their typical crimes, MOs, and the most famous cases of revenge that resulted in death or maiming." He responded, tugging on his hair.

"Why the hell are you reading that at four am?" Raleigh responded.

Cor finally looked up from his book to look at Raleigh. His head tilted to the side slightly as he considered him; Raleigh guessed it might be a tic of some sort.

He sighed. "What have I told you about my past?"

"Just that you don't recall much beyond vague memories because of what I assumed was some sort of accident."

That earned him a bitter laugh. "Whatever happened to me was no accident. I was all but broken physically and the trauma disrupted my memories in a major way."

Raleigh frowned. "You're...trying to see if any match what you went through?"

Cor gave a stiff nod. "Still not sure what I'm doing on that front but...this is better than nothing."

Raleigh returned the nod, not quite sure what could be said in response to that. He turned his attention to studying the man across the table. This Cor was markedly different from the one a few hours earlier. For one, he was much more approachable like this. For another? The stress and the fatigue made him come across as more human. The blond was far too used to thinking of Cor as this calm, eternally unflappable person so while he didn't relish seeing him like this, well... It was a welcome change.

"You know...not coming off as constantly calm and unflappable isn't a bad thing."

Cor narrowed his eyes, then prodded him using his empathy. "You're being honest. Not mocking."

"Yeah. You're more approachable when you're not constantly unreadable."

Raleigh winced when Cor dropped his head in his hands.

"You're right." Came the muffled response. "Just...too used to hiding."

"Makes sense. But it should be okay now, yeah?"

The older man met his gaze, then dropped his eyes to the table. "...I guess you're right." With that, he stuck his finger in his eye.

Raleigh jerked and almost dove across the table until he realized Cor was removing contacts.

A pair of very blue eyes met his own and he swallowed.

"Question."

"Answer." Cor responded in his usual droll tone.

"The training sims you used..."

Realization dawned. "Ah. The copying. Yeah, sorry. I always ended up on the side you calibrated."

"Makes sense."

Cor huffed in amusement. "Bet it still creeped you out."

It was Raleigh's turn to huff but he couldn't deny that the slightly-more-relaxed set of Cor's shoulders made him feel better. He had even forgotten about the reason he'd come back entirely, but he guessed he'd remember sooner or later. In the mean time, he'd take advantage of the fact that he and Cor were able to talk without a buffer.

-x-x-x-x-

Chuck yawned as he plodded towards the cafeteria, Max on his heels.

He wasn't pleased over what his father had done and the old man still wasn't allowed back in his room but... he could appreciate what Sasha, Chance and Cor had been saying. And got that the more he tried to close himself off and hide, the more they'd come bug him until he came out and dealt with everyone again. He was still prickly, still a bit upset but...so long as no one brought up his father, he should be good.

Or so he thought until he found Raleigh asleep at one of the tables across from who appeared to be Cor.

"Oy!" He snapped and both jumped.

"Chuck?" Raleigh squinted.

The one who looked like Cor didn't have green eyes but blue. "And who the fuck are you, huh?"

"Cor, dumbass. I just took my contacts out."

"Again with the cafeteria sleeping?" Came Chance's annoyed mumble as he dragged himself in.

"Wasn't just me, don't wanna hear it."

Chance scowled but with his sleep-puffy eyes and tousled hair, the effect was more comical than threatening. "You makin' off with my Guide, Becket?"

"Nope. But he does make a mean cup of tea."

Chuck twitched. Was that some sort of fucking euphemism?

Raleigh covered a yawn and ignored that touch was trying to spike. It had taken longer, this time, for his senses to go on the warpath. Maybe they were finally adjusting to Chuck being around...? Well, if hanging out with the Aussie more meant he wouldn't have to deal with his senses going on strike, he'd do it and do it gladly.

Chance echoed his yawn. "Actually, aren't we supposed to all train together today?" 

"Starts today, yeah." Cor responded. 

"Wait, you agreed?" Chuck cut in.

Cor glanced to Raleigh for a moment, then nodded. "Better to have you work with him than that idiot anyway."

Chance sniffed. "That idiot is your idiot."

Cor simply smiled. "Indeed he is."

Chuck just gaped at Cor, then stared at Raleigh. What in the fuck went on last night, that Cor had agreed to the joint training AND was smiling?

-x-x-x-x-

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap. Seriously. This was supposed to be short, sweet and to the point. But nooooooooooooooooooooo.
> 
> -StrikerEurekaTech's:[Obligatory Tumblr Link](http://strikereurekatech.tumblr.com/)  
> -missixo's: [Obligatory Tumblr Link](http://missixo.tumblr.com/)  
> -artimudin's: [Obligatory Tumblr Link](http://ninjatwins.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [How To Lose Your Virginity: Socially Stunted Ranger Edition](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086526) by [artimusdin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artimusdin/pseuds/artimusdin), [missixo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/missixo/pseuds/missixo)




End file.
